A transgender athlete has sparked fierce debate after winning a girls' state championship in Washington for the second consecutive year, telling protesters to "get a life" following the victory.
Veronica Garcia, 17, claimed the Class 2A 400-metre title at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma on Saturday, finishing a full second ahead of the competition.
The East Valley High School student faced heckling from spectators wearing "Save women's sports" shirts and shouting "May the best girl win" during warm-ups.
Garcia's triumph has reignited contentious discussions about biological males competing in female sporting categories, with Washington state permitting students to participate based on gender identity.
Veronica Garcia, 17, told protestors to 'get a life' after her victory
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The Seattle Times reported that scores of attendees booed when Garcia stood on the podium, with one man wearing a "Save women's sports" t-shirt shouting "Let go, girls!" and "Girls' race!" during the event.
Garcia responded defiantly to the criticism, stating: "I'm just going to say it's a damn shame they don't have anything else better to do.
"I hope they get a life. But oh well. It just shows who they are as people."
The athlete added: "I'm really proud of myself. I did what I came to do, and that's good enough for me."
Lauren Matthew, who finished second, refused to stand on the podium alongside her team-mate Quincy Andrews, who placed fifth.
Matthew stated: "I shouldn't have to push myself to the point of where I'm about to, like, die in order to win. I know I'm gonna push myself to keep going, but I don't want a man pushing me to have to go."
Andrews supported her team-mate, calling her the "best woman" who should be the rightful state champion.
She added: "She should have won state last year, and that's taken away from her, which isn't fair."
This marks Garcia's second consecutive year winning the state title, having previously competed under the names Davina Brown and Donovan Brown.
Veronica Garcia swept past the rest of the competition
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Former NCAA athlete and women's sports activist Riley Gaines shared a photo of Matthew on social media, declaring her the "real state champ."
Jennifer Sey, CEO of XX-XY Athletics and former gymnast, told reporters that the debate over male advantages in sport should be settled.
"We don't need more research. We don't need more categories to compete in. We just need to test for sex. And athletes just need to compete in the category to which they were born," Sey stated.
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