People online can be weird. Honestly, if you’ve spent more than five minutes on social media during an Olympic year, you’ve probably seen some truly head-scratching claims. One of the strangest, and frankly most persistent, is the suggestion that Simone Biles—the most decorated gymnast in history—is actually a man.
It’s a rumor that refuses to die.
But here’s the reality: Simone Biles is a woman. Period. The fact that we even have to break this down in 2026 says a lot more about the internet's obsession with policing women’s bodies than it does about Simone herself.
The Root of the Misinformation
So, where did this even come from? It isn't just one thing. It’s a messy mix of "gender-critical" movements, flat-out racism, and a complete misunderstanding of what it takes to be an elite athlete.
When Simone Biles first exploded onto the scene, people weren't used to seeing her level of power. Gymnastics used to be dominated by a very specific look: waif-ish, thin, and almost fragile. Then came Simone. She’s 4 feet 8 inches of pure, explosive muscle. Because she doesn't fit the "traditional" (read: Eurocentric and dainty) image of a female gymnast, trolls started weaponizing her physique against her.
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Fast forward to the last few years. The conversation around transgender athletes in sports has become a total powder keg. In June 2025, for instance, Simone got into a very public, very heated exchange on X (formerly Twitter) with former swimmer Riley Gaines.
Gaines had criticized a transgender high school athlete in Minnesota. Simone didn't hold back, calling Gaines a "sore loser" and telling her to "bully someone your own size."
That interaction was like throwing gasoline on a fire. Suddenly, because Simone defended trans rights and inclusion, the "investigative" part of the internet decided she must be "hiding something" herself. It’s a classic tactic: if a woman is too strong or too outspoken, someone will try to strip away her womanhood as a way to "hustle" her back into line.
The Biology of Greatness
Let’s talk about the actual science for a second. Why does Simone look the way she does?
It’s called physics.
To perform a Yurchenko double pike—a vault so difficult and dangerous that most men won't even try it—you need an insane power-to-weight ratio. Simone’s body is a masterpiece of specialized training.
- Fast-Twitch Fibers: She has a disproportionate amount of fast-twitch muscle fibers. These allow for that "pop" off the floor that sends her 12 feet into the air.
- Compact Frame: Being 4’8” is a massive advantage. Her center of gravity is low, which makes her rotation speed faster than someone taller.
- Neuromuscular Control: Experts often point to her "air sense." Her brain processes where she is in space at speeds most of us can’t comprehend.
There’s also the "proprioception" factor. This is the body’s ability to sense movement and location. Simone’s proprioceptive system is basically a supercomputer. When she hits the vault table, sensors in her joints and skin (called Pacinian corpuscles) tell her brain exactly how much force she's transferring. All of this happens in hundredths of a second.
None of this is "male." It’s just "elite."
The Double Standard for Black Women
We can't ignore the elephant in the room. This "is Simone Biles a man" nonsense is almost always directed at Black women who dominate their fields.
Remember the rumors about Serena Williams? Or Caster Semenya?
There is a long, ugly history of "gender policing" Black female athletes. If their muscles are too defined or they are "too fast," they are accused of being "biologically male." It’s a way of saying that Black womanhood has to look a certain way to be "valid."
Simone has talked about this before. She’s mentioned how she used to be self-conscious about her muscular arms. People would make comments, and it hurt. But she eventually leaned into it. She realized those muscles were the reason she could do things no one else on Earth could do.
The Impact of AI and "Fake News"
In 2025, we saw a massive spike in AI-generated misinformation targeting Simone. There was a viral Facebook post claiming she had written a scathing blog post about a conservative figure. It was total fiction. The "blog" didn't exist.
But these AI-written stories spread like wildfire because they use "outrage bait." They take a grain of truth (like her feud with Riley Gaines) and wrap it in a mountain of lies. By the time the fact-checkers get to it, the damage is done. People have already shared the "secret truth" that isn't true at all.
The "gender" rumors are part of this same ecosystem. Someone makes a grainy TikTok video "analyzing" her jawline or her shoulders, adds some ominous music, and suddenly it's a "conspiracy."
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Why We Should Care
This isn't just about one gymnast's feelings. It’s about the future of sports.
When we start questioning the gender of every woman who is "too good," we create a toxic environment for young girls. Imagine being a 10-year-old girl who loves lifting weights or running fast, and you see the world’s greatest athlete being called a "man" just because she’s strong. That’s discouraging.
Simone herself has shifted her focus to mental health and advocacy. After the "twisties" in Tokyo, she became a champion for the idea that athletes are "human too."
She’s a wife (married to NFL player Jonathan Owens), a daughter, and a mentor. She’s also a biological woman who has competed under the strictest drug-testing and gender-verification protocols in the world for over a decade. If there were some "secret," the International Olympic Committee—which isn't exactly known for being chill—would have found it a long time ago.
Moving Past the Noise
So, what do we do with this?
First, stop engaging with the trolls. They want the clicks. They want the "debate."
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Second, appreciate the athleticism for what it is. We are watching a once-in-a-century talent. Instead of picking apart her hormone levels or her bicep definition, we should probably just be amazed that she can flip three times in the air and land on a four-inch-wide beam.
Actionable Steps for the Skeptical:
- Check the Source: If a "revelation" about Simone Biles comes from a random YouTube channel with "PATRIOT" in the name and no citations, it's probably fake.
- Understand Gymnastics Specs: Research the power-to-weight ratio required for Level 10 and Elite gymnastics. You'll see that Simone’s build is a requirement, not an anomaly.
- Follow Verified News: Stick to the AP, Reuters, or official Olympic dispatches for medical or biographical facts.
- Recognize the Pattern: Notice how these rumors only target women who break records. That’s a giant red flag for bias.
Simone Biles is a woman. She’s the GOAT. And honestly, she’s too busy winning gold medals to care about what people on Facebook think about her chromosomes.