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

[where's_the_Outrage?]

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.

[FLT-bird]

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.

[Ahithophel]

code of conduct: . . . teach and model class

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

[Jonty30]

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

[lee martell]

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.

[albie]

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!

[Joe 6-pack]

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."

[Jonty30]

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.

[Leaning Right]

> 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?”

[jacknhoo]

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

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

[where's_the_Outrage?]

Unfortunately failure to stop this conduct leads to excessiveness, such as:

[Lizavetta]

That's unsportsmanlike behavior but a boy running in a girls' event is not.

Got it.

[Leaning Right]

> 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.

[Drew68]

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.

[Brooklyn Attitude]

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

[newfreep]

"Celebrations" have come a long way since Billy "White Shoes" Johnson...

[DennisR]

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

[Dixie Yooper]

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

[70times7]

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.

[Alberta's Child]

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