Riley Gaines calls out trans runners who no-showed at high school race after pushing out girls

Swimmer Riley Gaines called out on Friday two transgender girls who qualified for the state finals but failed to show up, noting, “Did they realize they clearly had an unfair advantage?”

Gaines, a college swimmer, has become a campaigner against transgender people in the sport since taking on Lia Thomas.

The NCAA champion argues that having transgender people in school sports discourages others from participating.

Gaines on Friday referred to a controversy in California where Athena Ryan, who transitioned from male to female and ran on the boys’ team until 2021, placed second in last weekend’s 1,600-meter race.

Ryan’s performance in Dublin saw her qualify for the state final at the expense of competitor Adeline Johnson, who placed fourth and later gave a thumbs down during the podium presentation.

A second trans athlete, Lorelei Barrett, also qualified for the state final in the 1,600 meters.

Both Ryan and Barrett refused to participate in the preliminary round on Friday.

Gaines tweeted, “Both boys (Athena Ryan and Lorelei Barrett) who qualified for the California Girls High School Athletics Championship did not compete in the prelims today.

“Did they realize they clearly had an unfair advantage? Or is that too optimistic?’

Barrett qualified in the fall, but Ryan didn’t make it to the finals until last weekend, causing a stir among contestants and parents.

In the aftermath of the race, Ryan boasted of her rapid progress, which shaved a huge amount of time off her best performances.

Ryan jumped from sixth place in her final 1,600-meter race to second in front of a field of high school students.

‘I did not expect that. I dropped about 17 seconds on the best of my season in the last two weeks,” Ryan told MileSplit after the race.

“After last weekend, I didn’t think I could run low 5s again. I just came here to break 5 – I’m just glad I finished it.’

But her second-place podium meant 18-year-old Johnson missed out on a place in the state finals.

The Branson School senior looked unimpressed when she lost her chance to compete in the state finals — and was on the mend after returning in the summer of 2022 after breaking her hip in two places.

Johnson was seen wave to people in the crowd before giving thumbs down at the medal ceremony in Dublin, California on Saturday.

The video of Johnson’s thumbs down was posted on social media by the Independent Council on Women’s Sports.

According to their Twitter bio, the group is a “network of female athletes and our supporters who advocate for women-protected categories in sports.”

aanother group dubbed ‘Women Are Real’ on social media also came to the meeting to voice their opposition.

Several protesters were seen on the course with banners reading ‘protect women’s sports’ as Ryan crossed the line – only for one competitor to yell at them before they were escorted off the grounds by security.

Parents told DailyMail.com they were “too afraid” to speak out for fear their children would be disqualified.

The California Interscholastic Federation follows the Gender Identity Participation rules first introduced in 2013.

It means any transgender student can participate in athletics and activities that are “consistent with their gender identity.”

The guide adds, “Athletes will participate in programs that match their gender identity or most consistently expressed gender.”

Once a student is eligible to race as a gender identity, they do not need to be renewed each school year.

The state became the first in the country to allow transgender children from across America access to hormones and puberty blockers, as well as treatments widely available throughout the Golden State.

The legislation also protects families from child abuse investigations or criminal charges for seeking gender-affirming care.

Students and guardians must both sign the code of conduct if they want to race, and many have specific guidelines against “hate speech” or “bullying” based on gender.

If charged with breach of contract, they risk being disqualified or penalized by the school, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), or the North Coast Section board.

One parent, who requested to remain anonymous for fear of backlash, told DailyMail.com: ‘We’ve all been told we’re not protected. As a family, everything we say falls under the Student Code of Conduct.

‘If we don’t follow the guidelines, we speak of bullying. They can’t protect our girls from being disqualified, so I understand why no one wants to speak out.

“We knew this was possible all year, that they would be racing against a boy. He came fifth in the last 100 meters and finished second – which is physically impossible for a girl. ‘

World Athletics banned trans athletes from competing in women’s events at the international level in March, and the NCAA is in the process of introducing new rules allowing trans athletes to adhere to much stricter rules and undergo regular testing to ensure eligibility.

This led many social media users to call for female athletes to boycott events in which trans athletes take the field, with many pointing out that biological female athletes are missing out on scholarships and the chance to compete in major events because of the unfair advantages enjoyed by trans athletes competing against women.

The angry protesters held up a banner reading ‘Protect Female Sports’ last Saturday and a video on the Twitter account Women Are Real showed an altercation involving a spectator with the banner.

“That’s f**kng disgusting,” the woman said. “I find that damn offensive.”

Another video shows security removing the group from the premises.

“They’re kicking us out because we care about women and girls,” one protester declared.

In Washington, D.C., House Republicans in April passed a ban on transgender women and girls from participating in female-school athletics.

No Democrats joined their conservative counterparts in voting for the bill, which will not pass the Senate.

Republicans say it’s about protecting women’s rights, while Democrats say it opens a new salvo to attack trans kids who are already being bullied in school.

“Anyone who claims to be a feminist or believes in what feminism is based on should probably get behind us,” said Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, at a press conference at the time.

Those on the other side of the aisle vehemently disagreed with the Republicans.

“These kids are kids and should be able to play with their friends,” said Mark Pocan, a Democrat representing Wisconsin.

“This isn’t about protecting women and girls, it’s about attacking trans kids.”