A 16-year-old transgender athlete who is the focus of a US sports row has won two golds and a silver at the California high school track and field championship.
AB Hernandez was born a boy but has transitioned and now competes against girls.
And the teenager’s inclusion in the girls category in the high jump, long jump and triple jump became a national conversation.
Critics, including parents, conservative activists and President Trump, had called for Hernandez to be barred from competing.
In the city of Clovis on Saturday, she took part under a new rule change brought in by the state’s interscholastic federation, under which an extra student was allowed to compete and win a medal in the events where Hernandez qualified.
And it meant there were two winners when she finished first.
Hernandez shared first place in the high jump with Jillene Wetteland and Lelani Laruelle.
All three cleared a height of 5ft 7in (1.7m), but Hernandez had no failed attempts, while the other two had each logged one failure.
Hernandez also had a first-place finish in the triple jump, sharing the top spot with Kira Gant Hatcher, who trailed her by more than half a metre.
Also, Hernandez came second in the long jump with Brooke White.
“Sharing the podium was nothing but an honour,” White said. “As a part of the queer community I want AB Hernandez to know we all have her back.”
Plane protest
During Hernandez’s qualifying events on Friday, a plane flew over the stadium trailing a banner, which read: “No boys in girls’ sports.” It was organised and paid for by two women’s advocacy groups.
A small protest also took place on the road outside. “Save girls’ sports,” one poster read. “XX does not equal XY,” read another.
Transgender inclusion is a thorny issue but a vote winner for Donald Trump, who campaigned last year with a promise to “kick out men from women’s sport”.
He signed an executive order seeking to ban transgender women from female sports.
And Mr Trump has threatened to withdraw federal funding from California over Hernandez’s participation in this weekend’s athletics event.
‘Pilot entry process’
The California Interscholastic Federation had earlier said it was launching a “pilot entry process” to allow more girls to participate in the championship.
It only applied to the three events in which Hernandez competed.
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The rule change may be the first attempt nationally by a high school sports governing body to expand competition when trans athletes are participating.
If a transgender athlete wins a medal, their ranking would not displace a “biological female” student from also medalling, the federation confirmed, and it will be reflected in the records.
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The federation said the rule opens the field to more “biological female” athletes.
The organisation did not specify how it defines “biological female” or how it would verify whether a competitor meets that definition.
