A California transgender high school runner won a spot in the girls’ state track and field championships over the weekend — and a biological female competitor missed out on the state championship as a result.
What are the details?
Athena Ryan — a junior from Sonoma Academy “who claims he is a girl,” the Daily Wire said — finished second in the girls’ 1,600-meter race at Saturday’s North Coast Meet of Champions of California.
The New York Post said the meet determines which high schoolers advance to the state track and field championships. Ryan qualified by finishing in the top three.
Here’s a video interview with Ryan after the race. The interviewer indicates that Ryan jumped from fourth place to second place in the last 100 meters of the race:
: Trans high school runner Athena Ryan boasts about new personal best
However, Adeline Johnson — a senior at Branson High School who finished fourth in the race — missed the chance to compete at the state championship by just one spot, the Daily Wire added.
\u201cA boy took 2nd in the Girls 1600m at a CA State qualifier meet on Saturday. The top 3 finishers advance to State. He smiled while 4th place senior, Adeline Johnson lost her chance to advance to State by 1 spot.\n\n@SF_TERF_CENTRAL @XxtraEstroGenny \n@icons_women \n\n#SaveWomensSports\u201d— WomenAreReal (@WomenAreReal)
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Darren Marble, who won the California state championship in the high jump in 1998, tweeted that “this is complete and utter nonsense. I’m embarrassed for our state and feel sorry for the girls who were cheated in the process,” the Daily Wire said.
What’s more, a group of pro-female protesters at the meet were holding a large banner that read “protect female sports” — along with a similar smaller sign:
Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @WomenAreReals
‘I find that f***ing offensive!’
One woman didn’t like the protesters’ pro-female signs very much — and her curse-out session was caught on video.
“That is disgusting! I find that f***ing offensive!” she told the protester.
“Which part?” a protester replied. “Which part’s disgusting? The women part?”
The progressive Karen didn’t like the pushback, either: “It shouldn’t even f***ing matter, and it’s none of your business what someone else does! That’s offensive!”
Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @WomenAreReals
She seems nice.
The protester shot back: “Watch the man’s race and see the difference.”
The angry woman, who was already walking away, issued a loud parting shot: “You have f***ing issues! I feel f***ing sorry for all your sorry asses!”
Here’s the clip. Content warning: Spoken and written profanity:
\u201cOne women found our \u201cProtect Female Sports\u201d banner disgusting and offensive. Note the secretive thank you\u2019s and a high-five by a female athlete at the end. \n\n@SF_TERF_CENTRAL @XxtraEstroGenny \n@icons_women \n\n#SaveWomensSports\u201d— WomenAreReal (@WomenAreReal)
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Following the woman’s potty-mouthed tirade, video appeared to show one female athlete giving a high five to one of protesters.
Video also showed security kicking the sign-wielding protesters out of the meet:
\u201cVideo of security removing us for having a banner that read \u201cProtect Female Sports.\u201d You can hear in the video how spectators were unaware a boy had just stolen a spot from a girl at the state championship.\n\n@SF_TERF_CENTRAL @XxtraEstroGenny \n@icons_women \n\n#SaveWomensSports\u201d— WomenAreReal (@WomenAreReal)
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Anything else?
There was speculation that the fourth-place finisher Johnson gave a thumbs-down at the awards podium in reference to Ryan finishing higher than her, but the Post said Johnson’s school denied the allegation.
“The ‘thumbs-down’ gesture made by Branson runner Adeline Johnson on the infield at the NCS Meet of Champions on May 20, 2023 was a response to her mother regarding Adeline’s individual performance, and it should not be construed as a statement about her competitors,” Assistant Head of School Nathalio Gray said in a statement, according to the Post.