The organizers of the Washington State Championships have come under heavy fire after a biological man won the girls’ 400-meter race on Memorial Day weekend.
Veronica Garcia, 16, previously known as Davina Brown and Donovan Brown, won a heat race during the competition in Tacoma with a time of 55.59 seconds – more than three seconds faster than the second-place candidate.
In the final, Garcia won with a time of 55.75 seconds, beating runner-up Lauren Matthew by over a second. Boos and jeers could be heard from the audience as Garcia cruised home to victory.
According to the Daily Mail, the winner’s presentation was met with virtual silence despite applause for the other finishers. The publication noted the remarkable improvement in Garcia’s form after coming 164th out of 172 in last year’s boys’ 5000-meter championships.
Some social media users pondered whether the female competitors should have protested further than their unified silence during the presentation ceremony.
Without a doubt, they should have.
