A high school track and field athlete who transitioned from male to female has caused controversy by winning a meet in California, the Associated Press and the New York Times reported on the 1st.
AB Hernandez, a transgender senior at Hurupa Valley High School in southern California, won first place in the women’s high jump and triple jump, and second place in the long jump at the state high school track and field meet held near the south-central city of Fresno on the 31st of last month.
This is not the first time a transgender athlete has won in the United States, but Hernandez’s win became a national issue after President Donald Trump criticized her participation, and even the federal government joined in.
California allows students to compete in categories that align with their gender identity under a 2013 state law. But after criticism from the president over allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s competitions, the governing body, the Higher Education Merit Association, released new rules earlier this week. It allowed one more athlete to compete in the event Hernandez competed in and receive a medal. It also allowed other athletes to take their places in the event Hernandez did not compete in. Hernandez finished first in the high jump and triple jump, but they were tied for first place at the awards ceremony. In the high jump, he jumped 5 feet, 7 inches without fail.
The runners-up were two athletes who jumped the same height as Hernandez but missed once each. However, both Hernandez and the two athletes stood on the podium together. The federation acknowledged Hernandez’s performance but also recognized the next-place finisher as a tie.
In the triple jump, Hernandez won the title on paper but was named joint winner with the second-place finisher at the awards ceremony. During the two-day event, some critics wore pink wristbands and T-shirts with the phrase “Save Women’s Sports,” while an airplane with a banner reading “No Boys in Women’s Sports” circled the stadium.
Ahead of the event, President Trump threatened to cut federal funding to California if it did not ban transgender students. The U.S. Department of Justice also announced that it would investigate whether the federation and Hernandez’s school district violated federal anti-discrimination laws.
In response, the federation said, “We respect all student-athletes and will continue to comply with state laws that support our mission of providing students with a sense of belonging, solidarity, and opportunity to compete.”