Riley Gaines praises 'heroine' fencer Stephanie Turner for refusing to compete against trans opponent

Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines discusses the female fencer who took a knee against her transgender opponent on ‘America's Newsroom.'

Right before a match against a transgender opponent, fencer Stephanie Turner took a knee and forefeited her match.

Ahead of a bout at the Cherry Blossom Open in Maryland over the weekend, Turner, 31, decided not to compete against trans athlete Redmond Sullivan.

It was a move Riley Gaines supported, calling Turner a "heroine."

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Women's fencer Stephanie Turner kneels in protest in front of transgender athlete Redmond Sullivan (Courtesy of Icons)

"Isn't it amazing how simply this can be explained? The other side likes to say this is complex, it's a complex issue. Stephanie Turner is a heroine in my eyes," Gaines told "America's Newsroom." 

"This was at a junior women's Olympic qualifying event. So, it's a really big deal. These aren't scrubs. This is the pinnacle of their sport at this point. I commend her for taking this measure. It's not easy to do, ultimately deciding to boycott. But it's the most effective way to say enough is enough."

Gaines, who swam four years at the University of Kentucky, including against Penn's Lia Thomas, then took a shot at the NCAA.

"The NCAA has continued to deceive the American people, and they've deceived President Trump in this. … The NCAA is repeatedly rewarding the replacement of women in order to champion men and women's sport, which is exactly why myself and about 19 other plaintiffs are suing the NCAA.

Fencer Stephanie Turner kneels in front of a USA Fencing official (Courtesy of Icons)

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