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 ...
I don’t understand the big deal.
"When you get in the endzone, act like you've been there before."
Stupid thing to do. What will they think of next? Nip it in the bud.
I agree with this, it was harmless and fun.
For the record I never side with obnoxious showboating but a father shooting a fire extinguisher at his daughters winning track shoes appears different to me.
Omg. This us where “GenderReveals” and Main Character Wannabes have gotten us.
What a stupid and grandstanding thing to do. Let her keep her win I guess but make it clear this and anything close to this will not happen again.
Shame them both for disgusting showboating.
I hate people.
I disagree. She should have celebrated at home. It was bad sportsmanship and showboating and her father should have known better. Yes, it is what they felt in their hearts but others are involved and it ain’t all about just her and her father.
Do you think the girls who lost to her enjoyed her little performance with the fire extinguisher? I know they didn’t. It was rubbing it in their faces that they lost no matter what that girl’s and her father’s intent was.
I love the quiet accomplishments of golf, where the golfers behave with decorum and class when they make killer shots. This isn’t a Boy’s and Girl’s Club where celebrating to the nth degree is encouraged.
Source: was supervisor at B&G Club.
BINGO! and that’s likely what really offended everybody.
Here it is, right here:
“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.”
Bringing a fire extinguisher to a track meet and using it to boast of her accomplishment was out of line. I get they wanted to celebrate but it wasn’t just HER running the race, there are others involved and it is HER and HER FATHER’S fault they are where they are now. This isn’t a Chuckie Cheese where you can just do whatever you want. THIS ^ is why they had to put it in writing. THIS. What’s next???? Firecrackers??????
I get it.
I am among those who dislike all of the showboating in football, particularly the NFL.
It says, “it’s all about meee!” in a team sport environment.
But, that is not the case in an individual sport.
Do I think it was a classless display? Yes.
Do I think it showed poor sportsmanship or disrespect? No, not at all.
However, imo it was far more inappropriate for the officials to decide: “Oh, you want to be classless? We can show you REAL classlessness!”
And they did.
A brief discussion with the father/coach and the athlete, along with a clarification of expectations, perhaps publicly announced, would have been more than enough for anyone unless their panties were too bunched up over it.
The showboating epidemic is a ghetto thing. I don’t remember the Boys of Summer performing those antics.
Is that supposed to be funny? It isn’t.
It's all so tiresome.
Yet California supports delusional men with mental disorders who think that they are women dominating womens track and field.
Me thinks their rigid concern with decorum in this instance is grossly hypocritical.
The father/daughter team actually thought ahead enough to bring a fire extinguisher with them to the meet for this selfish, social media driven stunt. Think on that. Who does that? Something I always said to my kids, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should”. Just go out there and give it your best, then go home.
When you go into the end zone, act like you’ve been there before.
Vince Lombardi
Oh sure. Unfortunate people living in ghettos are known for “showboating.” You should follow that up with “in my opinion” or at least post some evidence of that, which you cannot.
School is wrong. If she beat and did that I would laugh as well. People need to quit being wimps. She didn’t hurt anybody and did this out of sight of the track. I expect now to start lowering the boom on pro FB and BB players. All or none.
Sports SHOWBOATS suck. I can’t stand those worthless people. The reason I have absolutely nothing to do with the NBA.
Maybe make her run a few laps. Or duck walk the length of the football field and back. Less drama, more muscle memory.
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