Riley Gaines - “It’s not inclusive to ask us to smile and step aside and allow men onto our podiums"

Riley Gaines has once again hit back at the NCAA for stripping her of the 5th place podium at the 2022 National Championships.

Gaines, vocal for her views on transgender participation in women's sports, was tied for 5th place with Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA Swimming Championships after the two recorded equal times in the 200-yard. Despite this, the 5th place trophy was handed to Thomas.

The former Kentucky swimmer had even confronted officials but to no avail. Gaines only received a ‘sorry’ from the officials, while it was told to her that the organization wanted the trophy to be in Thomas' hands.

"We have been advised as an organization that when photos are being taken, that it's crucial that the trophy is in Lia's hands," she recalled on Joe Rogan's podcast.

Riley Gaines, along with over a dozen college athletes, recently sued the NCAA for violating their Title IX rights.

The 23-year-old was invited as a guest on British broadcaster Piers Morgan's podcast, Piers Morgan Uncensored, and yet again advocated against transgender participation in women's sports.

"That is not kindness. It's not inclusive to ask a girl like myself what happened to me and my teammates. It's not inclusive to ask us to smile and step aside and allow these men onto our podiums. That is not what inclusion is. That is exclusion and it's exclusive to the very female athletes or women in general..."

The 12x All-American swimmer later shared a clip of the show on her X (formerly Twitter) handle and once again claimed that it was not ‘kind to ask a young girl to undress in front of a naked’ male.

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Is Riley Gaines still swimming?

House Oversight Committee Holds Hearing Examining Female Athletics And Title IX

Riley Gaines is not swimming competitively right now. After the 2022 NCAA Swimming Championships and the Lia Thomas incident, the 23-year-old hasn't taken part in any events. Instead, she has been busy advocating for women's rights in sports, and in life overall.

Gaines was recently seen speaking with Charly Arnolt on Outkick after an 11-year-old girl was forced to share her locker with a male student. While she heavily criticized the authorities for this ‘sick’ act, the American singer further claimed that she was done with sports.

"Make no mistake, I'm not fighting for myself. I'm done playing in sports. No one wants to see me in the pool anymore," she said.

Riley Gaines said she was fighting for the young girls so that they could get the same opportunities she had gotten during her career.

"It's not about me. It's about creating a future for young girls like that to have the same opportunities that I was able to have," she added.