Girls’ track athlete cries in 1st TV interview after losing championship for fire extinguisher celebration
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California high school girls’ track athlete Clara Adams broke down in tears during her first TV interview since having her state championship revoked.
Adams, who took first place in the 400-meter final on Saturday, was penalized for excessive celebration when she prayed her shoes with a fire extinguisher after crossing the finish line.
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California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) officials deemed the act unsportsmanlike and disqualified her.
“I worked so hard for that title,” she said while crying in an interview with KSBW-TV.
Adams also lost the opportunity to compete in the 200-meter race.
Her father, David Adams, defended her in the interview.
“When she blew the fire extinguisher, the opponents were gone,” he said. “That was our moment of celebration, and CIF officials made it about them. The crowd went crazy, they loved it, the CIF booth went crazy, they loved it. But those few guys in those jackets took offense to it, didn’t like it, and made a decision based off emotions.”
The father previously told the Monterey Herald that the CIF’s decision was protested and that he felt like the disqualification was “racially motivated.”
The decision to revoke the teen’s title was heavily criticized online, especially by women’s rights activists who pointed out that Adams was stripped of her title while a biologically male trans athlete was able to compete and win two titles.
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AB Hernandez, representing Jurupa Valley High School, took first place in the girls’ high jump and triple jump, while taking second place in the long jump.
The controversy involving Hernandez put the entire event under a national microscope, but Adams was the only girls’ athlete who walked away from the meet with a significant penalty.
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