Champion collegiate swimmer-turned-girls sports activist Riley Gaines torched a pair of trans-female runners who edged two biological girls out of a high school track race but then failed to show up for the event.
“Did they realize they clearly possess an unfair advantage?” she mockingly noted.
On Friday, Gaines referred to a recent controversy in California involving Athena Ryan, an athlete who transitioned from male to female. Ryan, who had previously competed on the boys’ team, placed second in the 1,600m race held last weekend.
In Dublin, Ryan’s impressive performance secured her a spot in the state finals, displacing competitor Adeline Johnson, who finished fourth. During the podium presentation, Johnson was observed giving a thumbs-down gesture in response, the UK’s Daily Mail reported.
A second trans athlete, Lorelei Barrett, also qualified for the state finals in the 1,600m, the outlet noted as well. But neither chose to compete in Friday’s contest.
“Both boys (Athena Ryan and Lorelei Barrett) who qualified for the girls high school track and field state championship in California didn’t not compete in prelims today. Did they realize they clearly possess an unfair advantage? Or is that too optimistic?” she tweeted.
Both boys (Athena Ryan and Lorelei Barrett) who qualified for the girls high school track and field state championship in California didn't not compete in prelims today.
Did they realize they clearly possess an unfair advantage? Or is that too optimistic? pic.twitter.com/7zNMeYcNqg
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) May 27, 2023
The Daily Mail noted further:
Barrett qualified in the fall, but Ryan only made the finals last weekend sparking uproar amongst competitors and parents.
In the aftermath of the race, Ryan boasted about her rapid progress, shaving vast amounts of time off her best performances. Ryan vaulted from sixth place in her last 1,600-meter race to second ahead of a field of senior high school females.
And that second-place finish ended any hope for Johnson, the biological female, to compete any further.
“The senior at Branson School appeared unimpressed at losing her chance of running at the state finals – and had been improving after coming back from fracturing her hip in two places in the summer of 2022,” the report continued. “Johnson was seen waving at people in the crowd before giving a thumbs down during the medal presentation in Dublin, California on Saturday.”
The California Interscholastic Federation follows ‘Gender Identity Participation’ rules first implemented in 2013, the Daily Mail noted. That means any student can compete in any sporting event “consistent with their gender identity.”
