Clovis, California – A Transgender athlete beat the competition on Saturday at California High School Aath and Field Championship to bring the Gold back to home in girls’ jump and triple jump during a competition that aroused controversy and attracted national attention.
Ab Hernandez has contributed in a new change of rule which could be the first of its kind on a national scale by a sports director of secondary school. The California director of California changed the rules before the competition to allow more girls to compete and mediate events in which Hernandez has contributed.
Hernandez finished the high jump with a 5 -foot, 7 inches brand (1.7 meters), without failed attempts. The co-laureates Jillene Wetteland and Lelani Laruelle also erased this height after everyone recorded a failed attempt. The three shared the first victory in place, smiling as they went up together on the podium.
Hernandez finished the night with a first place in the triple jump, sharing first place with Kira Gant Hatcher who dragged a little more than half a meter. Earlier in the afternoon, Hernandez ranked second in long jump.
The Olympians Marion Jones and Tara Davis-Woodhall previously established state championship records during the long jump in 1993 and 2017, respectively, exceeding 22 feet (6.7 meters). This year winner, Loren Webster, exceeded 21 feet (6.40 meters), with Hernandez dragging a few centimeters.
California Interscholastic Federation announced the new policy earlier this week in response to Hernandez’s success before the championships. Under politics, the federation has authorized An additional student to compete And the medal in the events in which Hernandez qualified.
The two -day championship started on Friday in stifling heat in a high school near Fresno. Temperatures reached triple figures during the final on Saturday.
The atmosphere was relatively silent despite criticism – including parents, conservative activists and President Donald Trump – calling on Hernandez to be forbidden to compete. Some criticisms wore bracelets and pink t-shirts that read “Save Girls’ Sports”.
During Friday qualification events, an airplane surrounded above the stadium for more than an hour with a banner: “No boys in sports for girls!” Two groups opposing transgender athletes participating in female sports – the independent council on sports and women female is real – has taken the banner credit.
California at the center of the national debate
The change of rule of the Federation reflected efforts to find common ground in the debate on the participation of trans girls in youth sports.
“The CIF appreciates all our students athletes and we will continue to maintain our mission to provide students with the possibility of belonging, connecting and competing while complying with the California law,” the group said in a statement after announcing its change of rule.
A Recent AP-Noc survey have found that around 7 out of 10 American adults think that transgender female athletes should not be allowed to participate in the sports of girls and women in high school, college or professional level. This point of view was shared by around 9 in 10 Republicans and about half of the Democrats.
The federation announced the change after Trump threatened to withdraw federal funding from California unless it does Trans female athletes bars competition in the female teams. The Federation said she had decided to change before that.
The United States Ministry of Justice also said that it would investigate the federation and the district which includes Hernandez high school to determine whether they have violated the federal law on sex discrimination.
California’s law allows students to compete in sports teams separated by sex in accordance with their gender identity.
The Federation said that the rule opens the ground to more “biological” athletes. An expert said that change could himself be discriminatory because he creates an additional place for “biological women” athletes but not for other trans athletes.
The Federation did not specify how it defines the “biological woman” or how it would check if a competitor responds to this definition.
Sophia Lorey, director of awareness of California Family Council, was among those of the stadium on Saturday. She said that federation policy is not a solution for the problem and ends up only more confusion.
“In the end,” said Lorey, “it shows girls that we know that it is bad and that we always leave it.”
Hernandez said to the publication Capital & Main This month, she cannot worry about criticism.
“I am still a child, you are an adult, and so that you are aging like a child shows how you are as a person,” she said.
Other students break records
The California championship stands out from that of other states due to the number of competitors. The State had the second number of students participating in the country’s outdoor athletics during the 2023-2024 school year, behind Texas, according to a National Federation of State High School Associations.
The 100 -meter boys’ sleeves were also a highlight, with Jaden Jefferson Junior from the High School in Concord finishing in 10.01 seconds on Friday, 0.19 seconds faster than a competition record in 2023. But it fell just before counting as a competition record with a last period of 10.27 seconds in the final on Saturday.
The athletes have established new competition records in several events, including relay races for boys and girls, obstacles of obstacles and the boys’ pole jump.
