Transgender youngster competes in California highschool athletics meet

AB Hernandez, a transgender scholar at Jurupa Valley High School, leaves the stadium after competing within the triple bounce on the California highschool track-and-field championships in Clovis, California. Friday, May 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

A transgender highschool athlete shrugged off scattered protests and heated grievance from President Donald Trump to succeed in the finals of more than one occasions at California’s state championships on Friday.

AB Hernandez, 16, used to be the highest qualifier for Saturday’s finals within the women’ lengthy bounce and ladies’ top bounce on the California State Track & Field Championships in Clovis, out of doors of Fresno.

READ: US fencer disqualified for now not going through transgender rival

Hernandez’s participation on the assembly has been the topic of intense controversy, with the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) scrambling to regulate festival laws this week as anger grew on both sides.

AB Hernandez, a transgender scholar at Jurupa Valley High School, competes within the triple bounce on the California highschool track-and-field championships in Clovis, Calif., Friday, May 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

On Friday, a small aircraft rotated the stadium pulling a banner that learn: “No boys in girls sports!”

About a dozen protesters out of doors the venue sported T-shirts and indicators studying “Save girls sports.”

On Tuesday, CIF officers introduced that access laws have been changed in order that organic women weren’t excluded from festival because of the participation of trans athletes.

READ: Georgia college leaders ask NCAA for ban on transgender ladies

An afternoon later, CIF issued some other rule alternate — in particular concentrated on occasions by which Hernandez used to be certified to compete — which mandates that any athlete who misses out on a podium end at the back of a trans athlete would nonetheless obtain a medal.

“If necessary, in the high jump, triple jump and long jump events at the 2025 CIF State Track and Field Championships, a biological female student-athlete who would have earned a specific placement on the podium will also be awarded the medal for that place and the results will be reflected in the recording of the event,” the federation introduced in a remark.

The last-minute laws adjustments got here after days of controversy that have incorporated Hernandez being centered by way of Trump on social media.

The US President, who didn’t point out Hernandez by way of title, threatened to withhold federal investment from California in long term if she used to be allowed to compete on this week’s championships, which were given beneath method on Friday with finals due on Saturday.

“As a female, this transitioned person is practically unbeatable. THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS,” Trump wrote.

“Please be hereby advised that large scale Federal Funding will be held back, maybe permanently, if the Executive Order on this subject matter is not adhered to…This is a totally ridiculous situation!!!”

Trump’s remark used to be adopted by way of a statement from america Department of Justice that it had introduced an investigation into whether or not California had violated Title IX, the regulation that prohibits intercourse discrimination in instructional systems that obtain federal investment.

Local and state officers have additionally criticised Hernandez’s participation, calling for {the teenager} to be averted from competing.

At a press convention on Thursday, Clovis mayor Diane Pearce known as for CIF to dam Hernandez’s participation following their rule amendments previous within the week.

“Today, I call on CIF to do the right thing. Updates one and two were not enough, but the third time can be the charm,” Pearce stated.

“CIF still has a chance to make it right by removing biological males from girls’ sports.”