"You may just be racist"- Riley Gaines hits back at a fan for remarks on USA Swimming Team for Paris Olympics 2024

Riley Gaines has called out an American fan for making racist comments after USA Swimming unveiled their team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Following the conclusion of the trials, 46 American pool swimmers, 26 men, and 20 women, qualified for the global bonanza.

In a post on their X account, USA Swimming shared a photo of all the qualified swimmers, something that did not sit right with several fans who brought up racist claims.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your 2024 U.S. Olympic Team #SwimTrials24| @TeamUSA," the post read.

An agitated fan, commenting on their post, went down memory lane to remember Jim Crow and emphasized that it was important to remember the effects of segregated places.

Khan Academy explained that Jim Crow laws were created by white Southerners to enforce racial segregation across the South from the 1870s to the 1960s.

The laws endorsed racial segregation where only white people were given access to public facilities, including movie theatres, swimming pools, and schools. The blacks who dared to challenge the law faced arrest.

"When people say that Jim Crow was so long ago, it’s important to remember the lasting effects of segregated spaces — like segregated swimming pools — and the continued impact across generations. This visual reflects that legacy," the X user argued.

Replying to her comment, 24-year-old Riley Gaines was irked by the comments and said:

"If you look at this photo and the first thing you notice is skin color, then you may just be racist."

Other fans rallied behind Riley Gaines, noting that all the swimmers had to compete to get on the team and there was no colorism in the selection criterion.

An X user argued that skin color is not considered while selecting a team since every swimmer had an equal chance of qualifying.

"Who cares about the skin color they earned the right to be on the United States swim team. At the end of the day, we are all Americans. Democrats continue to try and divide us with this rhetoric," the comment read.

Riley Gaines opens up about her journey of self-discovery and faith in God

House Oversight Committee Holds Hearing Examining Female Athletics And Title IX/Getty Images

Riley Gaines opened up about her faith and working towards becoming a better person while speaking to the Sports Spectrum Podcast hosted by Jason Romano .

She mentioned prioritizing her faith in 2020 and noted that she was going through the steps and learning through the process before then.

"Yes, you know, those things when I would attend church, but I don’t know if I acted in my day-to-day life like a churchgoer, like a Christian, like someone who embodies Christ and His message," she said.

"And so, that’s when I started really spending more time in scripture, reading His word, His gospel, of course, in prayer, spending time with people around me who are strong in their faith, really acting as anchors even still in my life."

Gaines is the author of the new book, ‘Swimming Against the Current: Fighting for Common Sense in a World That’s Lost its Mind.’ In the book, Riley Gaines narrates her life story to inspire readers to objectively discuss women's rights.