"Can't cheat, won't compete" - Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines on no transgender athlete participating in World Cup in Berlin
Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines has called out transgender athletes for not showing up to compete at the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Berlin.
Earlier this year, World Aquatics announced that there will be a new open category at the Swimming World Cup in Berlin which would give a chance for swimmers of all sex and gender identities to take part.
This was seen as a way for transgender athletes to compete in the elite event after the governing body took a decision last year to ban them from all-female events. The new set of rules bars anyone who has undergone male puberty, from competing in women's races.
The open category was set to feature the 50 metres and 100 metres events across all strokes, to begin with. However, the open category saw no takers, according to a statement by World Aquatics on Tuesday, October 3.
"Following the close of registration for the Open Category competitions at the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup – Berlin 2023 meet scheduled for 6-8 October, World Aquatics can confirm that no entries have been received for the Open Category events," the global swimming body said in a statement.
"The World Aquatics Open Category Working Group will continue its work and engagement with the aquatics community on Open Category events. Even if there is no current demand at the elite level, the working group is planning to look at the possibility of including Open Category races at Masters events in the future," it added.
Riley Gaines, who has tirelessly been fighting against the inclusion of transgender athletes in women's events across sports, took to social media to scoff at the news. She further stated that this laid bare the 'real motivation' for transgender athletes.
"World Aquatics & FINA created an Open Category for swimming at the World Cup to accommodate both fairness and inclusion. There wasn't a single entry. Very revealing as to what the real motivation is. Can't cheat, won't compete," she said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Riley Gaines hits back at Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe's comments on transgenders
After JK Rowling, the famed author of the Harry Potter series, argued that discussing gender identity negates biological sex, Hollywood actor Daniel Radcliffe published an open letter opposing her views and defended transgender women.
“Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I,” he wrote in his open letter.
After Radcliffe's comments resurfaced online, Riley Gaines shared the responses and wondered why a man was questioning a woman's views on the subject.
"Of all the things to trust women being experts at, being a woman is at the top of the list. ***so correction...you have no expertise, but JK Rowling does. The mansplaining from weak men is getting old," she expressed.