Riley Gaines Joins Forces with Marsha Blackburn to Protect Women's Sports

Exclusive: NCAA swimming star Riley Gaines, who rose to prominence after competing against transgender athlete Lia Thomas, endorses Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn's re-election campaign, citing her unwavering support for women's sports.

Riley Gaines, a former University of Kentucky swimming star who became a vocal advocate for women's sports after competing against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA Championships, has thrown her support behind Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn's re-election bid.

In a campaign advertisement first obtained by Fox News Digital, Gaines praises Blackburn's stance on women's sports and her commitment to protecting female athletes from the perceived threat posed by transgender athletes.

Riley Gaines Joins Forces with Marsha Blackburn to Protect Women's Sports

"In Tennessee, we know the difference between a man and a woman, and we know that men do not belong in women's sports," Gaines says in the ad.

Gaines argues that the inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports erodes the principles of fairness and equality that have been fought for by generations of female athletes.

Riley Gaines Joins Forces with Marsha Blackburn to Protect Women's Sports

"I trained my entire life to be the best," Gaines says in the ad. "I was one of the fastest women in the entire country. But woke politics made me swim against a man, sharing the pool and the locker room. That's not just dangerous; it's degrading."

Blackburn, who is running for re-election in the Republican primary on Aug. 1, has been an outspoken critic of the transgender athlete debate, vowing to protect women's sports from what she sees as a "woke" agenda.

Riley Gaines Joins Forces with Marsha Blackburn to Protect Women's Sports

In a news release, Gaines expressed her admiration for Blackburn's unwavering support for female athletes.

"As a fearless advocate for female athletes, Senator Blackburn will continue to ensure they are recognized for their accomplishments and protected from the left's woke identity crisis," Gaines said.

Riley Gaines Joins Forces with Marsha Blackburn to Protect Women's Sports

Gaines, who hosts the podcast "Gaines for Girls," has been a vocal opponent of the NCAA's decision to allow transgender athletes to compete in women's sports. She has testified before Congress and spoken at various universities about the dangers of allowing biological males to compete against biological females.

Blackburn has also been a vocal critic of the NCAA's transgender athlete policy, calling it "discriminatory" against biological women. She has introduced legislation that would ban transgender athletes from competing in women's sports at the collegiate level.

The debate over transgender athletes in sports has become increasingly heated in recent years, with some arguing that transgender athletes have an unfair advantage over biological females. Others maintain that transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in the sport of their choice, regardless of their birth sex.

The NCAA has allowed transgender athletes to compete in women's sports since 2010, but each individual sport has its own eligibility requirements. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has similar guidelines, allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's sports if they have undergone certain medical interventions.

The controversy surrounding transgender athletes is likely to continue as more transgender individuals participate in sports at all levels. The outcome of Blackburn's re-election campaign could have a significant impact on the future of women's sports in Tennessee.