Trans Athlete Dominates Girls’ Track Events in CA Regionals
A transgender-identified male athlete won gold medals in three jumping events at a California girls' track and field championship, prompting dual gold medal awards for female runners-up.
AB Hernandez, a senior at Jurupa Valley High School, swept all three girls’ jumping categories at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section Track and Field Masters meet held Saturday in Ventura County, as Breitbart News reports. Hernandez claimed first place in the high jump, long jump, and triple jump competitions.
The victories mark another year of biological male advantage in California girls’ athletics, with Hernandez’s performances significantly outpacing those of female competitors across all three events.
Performance margins reveal clear physical advantage
According to official meet results, Hernandez’s winning marks exceeded those of second-place female finishers by substantial margins in each discipline.
In the girls’ high jump, Hernandez cleared 5 feet, 8 inches, while the second-place female athlete reached 5 feet, 6 inches. The long jump saw Hernandez post a winning distance of 20 feet, 4.75 inches, compared to the female runner-up’s mark of 19 feet, 1.75 inches. In the triple jump, Hernandez recorded 40 feet, 6.6 inches against the second-place female competitor’s 39 feet, 4.05 inches.
Controversial policy awards dual gold medals
Under CIF rules established in response to criticism of biological males competing against female athletes, Hernandez’s female runners-up were also awarded gold medals. The policy has resulted in podiums accommodating four athletes instead of the traditional three.
The dual-medal system was instituted by state athletic officials to ensure recognition for female athletes who would otherwise finish behind transgender competitors or be excluded from the podium entirely. Despite this attempt at compromise, the policy has drawn criticism from multiple quarters.
Hernandez’s mother previously criticized the arrangement of awarding second-place female competitors gold medals and podium positions alongside her child, according to earlier Breitbart News reporting.
Pathway to state finals opened for both winners
Saturday’s masters meet served as a regional qualifying competition for the state championship scheduled later this month. Under current rules, both Hernandez and the closest female medal winner in each event will automatically advance to the state finals.
This continues a pattern from last year’s state championship meet, where Hernandez claimed gold in the girls’ high jump and triple jump while placing second in the long jump.
National voices condemn California policy
The ongoing situation in California girls’ athletics has drawn condemnation from prominent figures in women’s sports. Earlier this month, tennis legend Martina Navratilova and Olympic swimming gold medalist Nancy Hogshead publicly criticized Governor Gavin Newsom for failing to protect female athletes, as Breitbart News reported.
The controversy extends beyond state borders. Last July, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against California state agencies alleging violations of Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in educational programs and activities.
The case highlights the ongoing national debate over fairness in women’s sports as states grapple with policies allowing biological males who identify as transgender to compete in female athletic categories.
With information from Breitbart News
