Riley Gaines has criticised Kamala Harris for her silence on the gender dispute in boxing at the Olympics, saying the current vice president is a “vote against your daughter’s future”.
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif is in the spotlight this summer after being cleared to compete in the women’s category at the Paris Olympics despite doubts about her gender.
Khelif, who is naturally female, was kicked out of last year’s world championships after reportedly failing tests that showed she has male ‘XY chromosomes’.
Her participation in Paris caused a lot of outrage. Gaines and a number of well-known figures were furious about the decision to allow her to participate in the competition.
Ahead of her expected Democratic nomination for president, Harris has yet to address the gender controversy surrounding Khelif at this summer’s Olympics.
Riley Gaines (left) has criticized Kamala Harris for her silence on the gender dispute in Olympic boxing
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif (left) is at the centre of intense controversy after being cleared to compete in the women’s category at the Olympic Games despite questions about her gender
And Gaines finds this radio silence from America’s potential next president a worrying sign.
“Crickets from Kamala, crickets from the women on ‘The View.’ And if I may beg you, a vote for Kamala is a vote against your daughter’s future,” the former U.S. swimmer, who previously competed against transgender athlete Lia Thomas, said on Fox News’ ‘Jesse Waters Primetime’ Show.
“I see a lot of people on social media saying they’re going to vote for Kamala because she’s a woman. Well, let me tell you, Jesse, I’m going to vote for Trump because I’m a woman.”
To add to the outrage, Khelif completely dominated Italy’s Angela Carini in her short-lived opening match of the Olympics on Thursday, with her female opponent having to retire after just 46 seconds.
Carini took two punches in the opening round of their women’s welterweight fight in Paris, appearing to have her chinstrap knocked off, but then she returned to the center of the ring and lost the fight.
Potential presidential candidate Harris has yet to speak out on gender debate at the Olympics
Gaines says it shows that supporting the VP is ‘a vote against your daughter’s future’
Khelif completely dominated Angela Carini in her short-lived opening match of the Olympics, forcing the Italian to retire after 46 seconds
The Italian boxer, who claimed before the match that she could “only adapt to the rules of the Olympic Games”, was subsequently seen crying in the ring as her defeat was confirmed.
On Thursday, Gaines shared a clip of Khelif beating Carini into submission on X, writing, “Call me crazy but it’s almost like women don’t want to get punched in the face by a man while the world watches and applauds.
“This is glorified male violence against women.”
In addition to Khelif, Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-Ting is also eligible to compete in the Olympic Games, despite being disqualified from last year’s world championships for failing the same tests.
Olympic leaders have further emphasized their decision to have both boxers compete in Paris on Thursday.
Carini was seen crying in the ring after her one-sided defeat to Khelif
“They (Khelif and Yu-ting) were suddenly disqualified without any due process,” the 557-word statement said, adding that, in line with previous Olympic Games, “the gender and age of the athletes are based on their passports.”
“Everyone has the right to participate in sport without discrimination,” the IOC said, before stressing that the rules are based on those used by the IBA before its forced withdrawal in 2023.
Criticism was also levelled at ‘misleading information about two female athletes’, adding that the duo ‘have been competing in international boxing competitions in the women’s category for years.’