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High school track star stripped of state title over celebration paying respect to Olympic gold medalist: ‘I would say reinstate her’
New York Post ^ | June 30, 2025 | Richard Pollina

Posted on 06/03/2025 3:09:05 AM PDT by where's_the_Outrage?

A California high school track star’s post-race celebration that paid homage to an Olympic gold medalist resulted in her disqualification and the stripping of her state championship title by outraged officials.

North Salinas High School sophomore Clara Adams had just crossed the finish line as the winner in the 400 meters at Buchanan High in Clovis on Saturday when the excited teen ran over to her father to celebrate, the Mercury News reported.

Her proud father, David, handed his daughter a fire extinguisher, and away from her competitors, she sprayed on her shoes as if they were on fire.

However, the moment was quickly extinguished by California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) officials, who viewed Adams’ actions as unsportsmanlike and disqualified her.

“I don’t know what’s going through my mind right now,” Adams told the Mercury News.

“I’m disappointed and I feel robbed. I am in shock. They (officials) yelled at me and told me, ‘We’re not letting you on the podium.’ They took my moment away from me.”

That decision was handed down minutes before the young track star was about to run the 200 meters, but because she was disqualified for what was ruled an unsportsmanlike act, Adams was not allowed to run the race where she was one of the favorites to win.

Her father, who is also her sprinting coach, is adamant that his daughter did nothing wrong, and when she celebrated, she wasn’t near any of her competitors in the 400m sprint......

According to CIF’s code of conduct, athletes are expected to “be a good sport, teach and model class, be gracious in victory and accept defeat with dignity; encourage student-athletes to give fallen opponents a hand, compliment extraordinary performance, and show sincere respect in pre- and post-game rituals.”

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; Philosophy; US: California
KEYWORDS: celebration; excessivecelebration; nipitinthebud; showboating; tackycelebration; trackcelebration; trackmeet
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Obviously this "celebration" was planned, by the father. The disqualification seems within the code of conduct: “be a good sport, teach and model class, be gracious in victory and accept defeat with dignity.....and show sincere respect in pre- and post-game rituals."

I'm also surprised that real reason for her disqualification, racism, was not in the article. / sarc

I'm sure that omission will be corrected soon.

1 posted on 06/03/2025 3:09:05 AM PDT by where's_the_Outrage?
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

She wasn’t taunting anybody. Was it excessive? Sure, but it wasn’t harmful. They should’ve just told the girl and her dad to please showboat a little less and let it go at that.


2 posted on 06/03/2025 3:14:06 AM PDT by FLT-bird
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To: where's_the_Outrage?
code of conduct: . . . teach and model class

Remember, only you can put out running shoes fires. C'mon California Interscholastic Federation officials, stay classy.

3 posted on 06/03/2025 3:18:59 AM PDT by Ahithophel (Communication is an art form susceptible to sudden technical failure)
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To: FLT-bird

If the rules were in place already, then it was her obligation to comply. It is all part of job of being disciplined.


4 posted on 06/03/2025 3:19:03 AM PDT by Jonty30 (I have invented a pen that can write underwater. And other words. )
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

Seems like an overreaction, but her dad is a sports coach himself, and should have known how their private celebration would be judged. A+, for that schoolgirl who was inspired by her dad to participate, train and win.
.That part was nice to read about.


5 posted on 06/03/2025 3:21:02 AM PDT by lee martell
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

Here’s the real shocker…she’s black and actually has a Dad!! A Dad that’s home with her! Who goes to her track meets!


6 posted on 06/03/2025 3:21:19 AM PDT by albie
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To: where's_the_Outrage?
The kid is being punished for her dad's idiocy.

Yes, the kid is probably old enough to know better, but if your dad and your coach are behind it, there's not just a sense of, "it's ok to do it," but possibly even, "you better do it."

7 posted on 06/03/2025 3:22:00 AM PDT by Joe 6-pack
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

I reread it. She didn’t showboat on the field of play, but in her little corner. I think the school was wrong on this.


8 posted on 06/03/2025 3:22:49 AM PDT by Jonty30 (I have invented a pen that can write underwater. And other words. )
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To: Jonty30

> If the rules were in place already, then it was her obligation to comply. <

Right. If you let this one go, then there’s pressure to let the next one go. I can just here it now:

“You let her celebrate with a fire extinguisher. Why can’t my daughter celebrate by yelling and dancing a little?”


9 posted on 06/03/2025 3:23:58 AM PDT by Leaning Right (It's morning in America. Again.)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

I don’t see what she did as being unsportsmanlike.

She shattered a record. I thought the display was cute as can be.


10 posted on 06/03/2025 3:27:17 AM PDT by jacknhoo (Luke 12:51; Think ye, that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, no; but separation.)
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To: FLT-bird
Unfortunately failure to stop this conduct leads to excessiveness, such as:

Ole Miss lose Golden Egg after wide receiver's dog-pee celebration |  College football | The Guardian
11 posted on 06/03/2025 3:28:16 AM PDT by where's_the_Outrage? (Drain the Swamp. Build the Wall)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?
That's unsportsmanlike behavior but a boy running in a girls' event is not.

Got it.

12 posted on 06/03/2025 3:30:40 AM PDT by Lizavetta
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To: Jonty30

> She didn’t showboat on the field of play, but in her little corner. <

Could the defeated runners see it? If so, she was wrong.


13 posted on 06/03/2025 3:30:44 AM PDT by Leaning Right (It's morning in America. Again.)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?
Maurice Greene celebrates as teammates spray his feet with a fire extinguisher

It's different when your teammates do it. She sprayed her own feet.

14 posted on 06/03/2025 3:35:52 AM PDT by Drew68 (I haven’t seen the Democrats this mad since yesterday. Save some tears for tomorrow.)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

Is Track getting like football? Idiotic celebrations/taunting after EVERY play? Her shoes were on fire? Moronic.


15 posted on 06/03/2025 3:38:21 AM PDT by Brooklyn Attitude (The DemocRATic party is a treasonous America hating cult.)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?
"Celebrations" have come a long way since Billy "White Shoes" Johnson...


16 posted on 06/03/2025 3:43:31 AM PDT by newfreep ("There is no race problem...just a problem race")
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

Mmmm...guessing the celebration was videoed in order to make it go viral to make some money.


17 posted on 06/03/2025 3:45:00 AM PDT by DennisR (Look around - God gives countless clues that He does, indeed, exist.)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

I have fire extinguishers. And I think everyone should carry one everywhere they go.


18 posted on 06/03/2025 3:46:27 AM PDT by Dixie Yooper (Ephesians 6:11)
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To: where's_the_Outrage?

Tell the officiating Karens to get over themselves. I don’t see how her actions showed disrespect to anyone. what she did is funny and I would have had a chuckle seeing that in person as I applauded her victory.

Could it be interpreted as “showboating”? Of course. But when something is clearly ambiguous regarding how close it is to “the line” it should be let go. At most, one of the Karens could have discreetly asked them to tone it down.

OTOH, the unrecoverable penalty those jack-asses imposed by taking her victory and her next race is clearly way over the line.

IMO, they need to reinstate her victory and issue a formal public apology.


19 posted on 06/03/2025 3:46:39 AM PDT by 70times7 (Serving Free Republic's warped and obscure humor needs since 1999)
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To: 70times7

She should be disciplined for having such a staged dumb-ass minstrel show.


20 posted on 06/03/2025 4:00:58 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("The gallows wait for martyrs whose papers are in order.")
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