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Caitlyn Jenner and the controversies surrounding transgender teen Athena Ryan.
Former Olympic decathlon champion Bruce Jenner now Caitlyn Jenner has condemned a transgender teen getting a podium finish in a track race in California.
At the North Coast Meet of Champions in California, transgender athlete Athena Ryan, a junior at Sonoma Academy, claimed the silver medal in the varsity girl's 1,600-meter run, which has caused several controversies online.
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One such controversy is by Jenner, a trans woman, and transgender advocate, who expressed her disapproval of Ryan's participation.
She took to her Twitter handle with the caption:
As ‘somewhat’ of a track star myself, and a trans person, THIS IS WRONG!!! HELP ME PUSH BACK!
Jenner had a six-year decathlon career culminating in winning the men's decathlon event at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and setting a third successive World Record. He publicly came out as a trans woman in April 2015 and is known as one of the most famous trans women in the world.
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Ever since, she has been a transgender rights activist. Although, her views on transgender issues have been criticized by many other LGBTQ+ activists.
Another controversy was from Adeline Johnson, a senior from Branson High School who finished in fourth place. Sadly for Johnson, her placement means she did not advance to the California Interscholastic Federation State Track & Field Championships.
A moment captured on video during the podium ceremony saw Johnson give a thumbs-down gesture, which quickly went viral, stirring further debate.
Her school later clarified that the gesture was unrelated to Ryan and her transgender identity, stating that it was a response to her performance. The school emphasized its support for all athletes and commended their achievements at the competition.
However, Ryan undeterred by the controversy surrounding her participation, shared her excitement and surprise at her improvement. With a finishing time of 4:55.91, she not only secured her spot at the California Interscholastic Federation State Track & Field Championships, but also achieved a remarkable 17-second improvement in her season's best time.
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In an interview with MileSplit, Ryan expressed her satisfaction with her performance, stating that she had aimed to break the five-minute mark and was pleased to have achieved that goal.
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