Riley Gaines is a 12-time All-American swimmer from a top NCAA Division I athletic program, but former ESPN host Keith Olbermann says she lost because she “sucked at swimming.”
“Can you just address the reality and move past it? You sucked at swimming. That’s why you lost,” posted Mr. Olbermann on X, formerly Twitter.
He didn’t name a specific race, but Ms. Gaines became an advocate for single-sex women’s sports after she tied for fifth with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in the 200-yard freestyle at the 2022 NCAA Division I Championships.
Ms. Gaines swung back Wednesday with a jab at Mr. Olbermann’s career: “Ah, makes sense now why you got fired from ESPN.”
She listed a few of her bona fides from her decorated athletic career at the University of Kentucky. Others noted that she was named SEC Women’s Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2022.
“Apparently holding the SEC record and being one of the fastest Americans of all time in the 200 butterfly is amateur,” she posted.
Among those defending Ms. Gaines was OutKick founder Clay Travis, who called Mr. Olbermann’s post “profoundly dumb even for you, Keith.”
Mr. Travis added that Ms. Gaines “was one of the best women’s collegiate swimmers in the country. She was forced to swim against a man pretending to be a woman. Do you really think men’s and women’s sports shouldn’t be separated?”
Ah, makes sense now why you got fired from ESPN. https://t.co/Js2q0NMSxu
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) August 31, 2023
Ms. Gaines, who hosts OutKick’s “Gaines for Girls” podcast, serves as an adviser to the Independent Women’s Forum. Earlier this month, she launched the Riley Gaines Center at the Leadership Institute, a conservative-training organization in Arlington, Virginia.
Mr. Olbermann’s comment comes as advocates for transgender athletes suggest women should be less concerned with winning than ensuring inclusion.
Nebraska state Sen. Megan Hunt reacted to Ms. Gaines’ appearance Sunday in La Vista, Nebraska, by suggesting the swimmer may be bitter about her 2022 showing in the NCAA meet.
“It can be hard, when we’re young, to not win a trophy sometimes. But we grow up and realize it’s not the end of the world and we don’t need to turn that loss into our entire personality,” Ms. Hunt posted.
Also sticking up for Ms. Gaines was Kentucky State University assistant professor Wilfred Reilly, who posted, “Riley Gaines finished fifth in the country and ranks like 11th in the world among nonpros.”
He added, “The entire issue here is not that she lost a race, but that one of the few people ever to beat her (well, tie with her) WAS MALE. This whole ‘Don’t see what … uhhh … you’re talking about here, buddy’ routine is insane.”
It can be hard, when we’re young, to not win a trophy sometimes. But we grow up and realize it’s not the end of the world and we don’t need to turn that loss into our entire personality. https://t.co/Y0039RdclU
— Senator Megan Hunt (@NebraskaMegan) August 28, 2023
Lia Thomas, who competed with men before switching to the women’s side after transitioning, became the first biological male to win an NCAA Division I women’s title by placing first in the 500-yard freestyle.
Mr. Olbermann, a sports and left-wing political commentator who left ESPN and MSNBC amid reports of clashes with management, now hosts a podcast, “Countdown With Keith Olbermann.”
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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