A 16-year-old transgender athlete has sparked a national controversy after winning two gold medals and one silver at the California high school track and field championships - resulting in threats from President Trump.
AB Hernandez, who was born male but has transitioned and now competes against girls, claimed tied-first place in the high jump and triple jump and finished second in the long jump at the California Interscholastic Federation state finals.
The teenager's participation in girls' athletics became a national conversation, with critics including parents, conservative activists and even President Trump calling for Hernandez to be barred from competing.
Trump had threatened to withdraw federal funding from California over Hernandez's participation and posted on Truth Social: "I am ordering local authorities, if necessary, to not allow the transitioned person to compete in the State Finals."
AB Hernandez claimed joint-first place in the high jump and triple jump
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Violent protests erupted outside the Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis during the championships, resulting in at least one arrest.
A person, described as an LGBTQ activist, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly using a Pride flag to smash a car window, leaving someone injured, according to Clovis police Sergeant Chris Hutchison.
The individual was also charged with obstructing police, with Hutchison stating the department doesn't "have room for violence".
A group of around 10 demonstrators gathered outside the stadium to protest Hernandez's inclusion, with some wearing "Save Girls' Sports" t-shirts.
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There were some protests outside the stadium
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During the meeting, angry parents confronted Hernandez's mother, with one heard yelling: "What a coward of a woman you are allowing that" and "Your mental illness is on your son, coward".
President Trump had earlier signed an executive order titled "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" seeking to ban transgender women from female athletics, whilst also threatening California with federal funding cuts if the order was not "adhered to".
Additionally, Trump lambasted California Governor Gavin Newsom, whom he called "Newscum," describing the transgender athlete's sporting participation as "not fair and totally demeaning to women and girls."
The President wrote: "This is a totally ridiculous situation!!!" whilst ordering local authorities to prevent Hernandez from competing, though he did not cite a specific legal basis for this directive.
The California Interscholastic Federation introduced a new "pilot entry process" to address the controversy, allowing an additional student to compete and win medals in the three events where Hernandez qualified.
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Under this rule change, if a transgender athlete wins a medal, their ranking would not displace a "biological female" student from also medalling, with results reflected in the records accordingly.
The federation said the rule opens the field to more "biological female" athletes, though it did not specify how it defines "biological female" or how it would verify whether a competitor meets that definition.
This modification may be the first attempt nationally by a high school sports governing body to expand competition when transgender athletes are participating.
The rule change only applied to the high jump, long jump and triple jump events in which Hernandez competed.
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AB Hernandez claimed joint-first place in the high jump, clearing a height of 1.7m
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In the triple jump, Hernandez also claimed tied-first place, sharing the top spot with Kira Gant Hatcher, who trailed her by more than half a metre with a mark close to 41 feet.
Hernandez finished second in the long jump behind Brooke White, with her qualifying mark reaching close to 20 feet.
The modified competition format meant there were two winners when Hernandez finished first, ensuring that her victories did not displace other female competitors from medal positions.
All results were reflected in the official records under the new pilot entry process.
During Hernandez's qualifying events on Friday, a plane flew over the stadium trailing a banner reading "No boys in girls' sports," organised and paid for by two women's advocacy groups.
The aerial protest was arranged by The Independent Council on Women's Sports (ICONS) and Women Are Real (WAR), with the banner stating "CIF: NO BOYS IN GIRLS' SPORTS" flying in circles overhead throughout Hernandez's high jump event.
Julie Lane, spokesperson for Women Are Real, said in a statement: "This is not equality. This is appeasement. Girls should not need a workaround or a second-tier medal ceremony to participate in their own sport."
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