The student said she felt ‘robbed’ after having the title taken off her
A young track star has been left devastated after she was stripped of her title.
The California State Track & Field Championships took place over the weekend, which saw trans athlete AB Hernandez come first in first in both the girls’ high jump and triple jump.
Donald Trump, someone who has been advocating for trans athletes to be prohibited from competing in women’s sports, has since addressed Hernandez’s win.
“A Biological Male competed in California Girls State Finals, WINNING BIG, despite the fact that they were warned by me not to do so,” he wrote on Truth Social on June 3.
Trump proceeded to call Governor Gavin Newsom ‘Gavin Newscum’ as he threatened ‘large scale fines’ on the state.
But that wasn’t the only controversy to happen at the school state championships as another young athlete was stripped of her title for her supposedly ‘unsportsmanlike’ behavior.
North Salinas High School sophomore Clara Adams won the girls 400m sprint and once she crossed the finish line she went over to her dad (who is also her coach) who passed her over a small fire extinguisher.
Moving away from the crowds and going onto the grass, Clara proceeded to spray her feet with the extinguisher as a way of paying homage to Olympic gold medallist Maurice Greene.
Videos of the sports event show that shortly after Clara did this she was escorted away by competition officials. This then sparked her dad to jump over onto the track and see what was going on.
Clara went on to be disqualified, meaning she was unable to partake in her 200m race as planned, and had her winning title for the 400m was stripped from her by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF). The whole thing has left the high schooler devastated.
Clara Adams said her win was ‘robbed’ from her (KSBW Action News 8)
Speaking about the ordeal, Clara told 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.”
Clara’s father David Adams has now suggested that the decision to take the girl’s title away was racially motivated.
“She was on the other side of the wall,” he said of the moment Clara sprayed her shoes. “I told her to step off the track. She did not spray her shoes on the track. We have protested the decision. I feel it was racially motivated.”
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UNILAD have approached the CIF for comment.Featured Image Credit: Oceanside Dolphins Track Club/YouTube
Topics: California, News, Sport, US News
Updated 19:08 20 May 2025 GMT+1Published 19:09 20 May 2025 GMT+1
Woman, 27, found alive after 3 weeks missing in mountains details how she survived
Officials said it was a ‘miracle’ Tiffany Slaton survived her ordeal
A woman who went missing in the mountains for weeks has revealed just how she fought to stay alive.
Tiffany Slaton managed to survive a whopping 24 days alone, lost, and with minimal equipment trekking through the Sierra Nevada, California, mountains, after what was meant to be a three-day solo camping trip turned into a hefty expedition that almost claimed her life.
She faced adverse weather conditions, an avalanche, and a serious fall that knocked her unconscious and injured her leg, with officials saying it’s a ‘miracle’ she managed to survive.
Tiffany had set off on a trip on April 20 to explore Shaver and Huntington lakes in Fresno County but was reported missing by her concerned parents on April 29 when they didn’t hear from her for nine days.
Tiffany was rescued after spending weeks foraging in the mountains (Inside Edition/YouTube)
Emergency responders launched a full-scale search party for Tiffany between May 6 to May 10 across Sierra National Forest, but found no trace of her.
The Jeffersonville, Georgia native was eventually found the day before her 28th birthday, some 40 miles away at Vermillion Valley Resort.
When she was finally found by the resort’s owner on Wednesday (May 14), officials say she had endured 13 snowstorms and climbed to altitudes of 11,000 feet.
She also lost 10lbs during her ordeal, as well as her tent, sleeping bags, and bike, leaving her with just a lighter, a knife, and some snacks.
Now, the 28-year-old has revealed what lengths she went to in order to stay alive.
Reunited with her family (Inside Edition/YouTube)
Not long into her journey, Tiffany said she fell off a cliff and was unable to make it to the main track due to a recent avalanche.
She claimed she was unconscious for around two hours and had to splint one leg and ‘pop the other knee back into place’.
All five of her desperate calls to 911 failed to go through, so she resorted to trekking towards the nearest Starbucks, some 18 miles away, after GPS managed to work.
“I ended up on this very long, arduous journey that I journaled to try and keep sane and eventually managed to get to civilization,” she said.
Tiffany, a traveling dialysis technician as well as an experienced archer with horticultural training, said her talents helped her to forage in the wildness and, crucially, keep calm.
Tiffany revealed the lengths she went to in order to survive (Inside Edition/YouTube)
She wrote in a diary, gathered leeks to eat that she knew were native in the area, drank melted snow, and made a tea from manzanita and pine needles.
“The worst thing you can do in an emergency situation is panic,” she said.
On the last leg of her journey, Tiffany managed to navigate a 9,000-foot peak buried beneath 12 feet of snow which led her to a cabin and, finally, safety.
At first sight, she said she thought she was ‘hallucinating’ and considered she had ‘managed to make it to the North Pole’.
But once inside, she found the ‘best sleeping bag I had ever seen’ and was found just eight hours later by Christopher Gutierrez, who, as luck would have it, was able to get to the cabin after snowplows happened to clear the roads that day.
Tiffany said: “That was the 13th heavy snowstorm I had been in, and it was going to be the last one.
The cabin where she took shelter (Inside Edition/YouTube)
“If he hadn’t come that day, they would’ve found my body there.”
Christopher also recalled the moment he found her, saying: “She pops out, didn’t say a word, just ran up, and all she wanted was a hug.
“It was a pretty surreal moment. And that’s when I knew. That’s when I realized who this was.”
“I really do have a new faith in humanity,” Tiffany added.
Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni also said in a press conference that her story is what ‘they would make movies about’.
“I would have never anticipated her in my wildest dreams being able to get back as far as she did,” he added. “It is truly an incredible story of perseverance, determination and survival.”Featured Image Credit: Fresno County Sheriff’s Office
Topics: California, Travel, US News, Weather
Published 11:55 19 Dec 2024 GMT
The 10 most common symptoms of bird flu to look out for as state of emergency declared in USA
Severe cases of avian influenza can be fatal
California has declared a state of emergency after 34 people cases of bird flu were detected.
Governor Gavin Newsom took action on Wednesday (December 18) as cases of the avian influenza A (H5N1) subtype snowballed.
According to Cleveland Clinic, bird flu is spread to humans via an infected animal’s bodily fluid.
This could be its spit, milk, poop or even ‘respiratory droplets.’
You can ‘breathe it in’ from small dust particles in animal habitats, or get it into your eyes, nose of mouth after touching bodily fluids.
The H5N1 bird flu virus (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
It can cause some common cold and flu symptoms, but serious cases can quickly become fatal.
Outbreak explained
Bird flu has been detected in some 645 dairy cows in California since late August, but half these cases were only just identified in the last month alone.
The majority of the 34 humans infected are believed to be farmworkers who worked closely with infected cattle.
It comes as the first person to ever contract ‘severe’ bird flu in the US was hospitalized in critical condition.
Infected dairy cows are thought to be responsible for the outbreak (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
It’s suspected the person, who is over 65 and has underlying health issues, came into contact with an infected flock of birds in their backyard.
The CDC said: “While an investigation into the source of the infection in Louisiana is ongoing, it has been determined that the patient had exposure to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks.
“This is the first case of H5N1 bird flu in the US that has been linked to exposure to a backyard flock.”
There have been a total of 61 bird flu cases throughout the country this year alone, although the CDC did confirm ‘no person-to-person spread of H5 bird flu has been detected.’
What are the symptoms of bird flu?
A high fever can be a sign of bird flu (Tom Merton/Getty Images)
There are 10 key signs of bird flu to be mindful of, although Cleveland Clinic claims some of the most recent cases in the US have caused pink eye and ‘mild respiratory symptoms.’
Main symtoms include:
- Pink eye (conjunctivitis)
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Cough
- Muscle aches
- Sore throat
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Stuffy or runny nose
- Shortness of breath
These symptoms can be mild or severe.
In some cases, bird flu can cause serious complications, including pneumonia, sepsis, brain swelling and respiratory failure.
How to treat bird flu
If detected early enough, bird flu can be treated with antiviral medication.
A sore throat, fever and muscle aches can be treated with over-the-counter medicine as usual.
You should get plenty of rest and stay hydrated, too.Featured Image Credit: Jacob Wackerhausen/MATTHEW HATCHER/AFP via Getty Images
Topics: California, Health, US News, Animals
Published 15:17 11 Mar 2025 GMT
Athlete is disqualified after pushing competitor at finish line and breaking ‘golden rule’
Mario Palencia appeared to push Daniel Lopez to the ground just centimetres before crossing the finish line
An athlete has been disqualified after he appeared to push his competitor who fell to the ground after passing the finish line.
On Sunday (March 9), Guillermo Sanchez was crowned the winner of the 1,500m race at the Spanish Under-20 Indoor Championships in Salamanca.
The 18-year-old sprinter bagged the win with a chip time of 3:54:55.
But as he crossed the line and raised his hands in celebration, two other runners, Daniel Lopez and Mario Palencia, also both 18, were coming up quickly behind him.
The moment Daniel Lopez went into Mario Palencia’s path and was ‘pushed’ (Twitter/@SVElClarin)
In the milliseconds between them, second-place contender Lopez appeared to alter his path to the right of the track, either to block Palencia behind him or to avoid Sanchez’s victory.
But Palencia allegedly pushed his competitor just centimetres before crossing the finish line, with video footage of the incident showing the athlete subsequently loosing his balance and falling to the ground.
Now, according to Spanish news outlet, Marca, Palencia was disqualified from the race for unsportsmanlike conduct and received a red card under article RT7.1.
The incident came as the pair reportedly clashed during the race and in the last lap.
Palencia has been disqualified for the act (Twitter/@SVElClarin)
The news also comes as a similar incident between two competitors appeared to take place at a 4×200 meter relay race at Liberty University, Lynchburg, in the US on March 7.
Brookville High School runner Kaelen Tucker suffered a concussion as well as a potential skull fracture after she was struck by a baton in the back of the head while running the second leg.
The footage shows Tucker was hit with a baton being held by another competitor, Alaila Everett, of I.C. Norcom High School.
After striking her head, the video shows Tucker ran off the pitch before falling to the floor.
The Virginian high schooler told WSET ABC 13: “So, on the back curve, I kind of got cut off, and I tried to pass her the first time, so I let her go ahead… So, as we were coming up in the middle of the curve, we were bumping arms a lot. So, I got a little more on the outside of the curve to go around her.
Sprinter tells her side of the story about viral ‘baton attack’
“When I finally pushed through to get in front of her, that’s when she hit me in the head with the baton.”
The footage has since gone viral on social media, with many criticizing Everett and calling for her to be banned from the sport.
However, in a tearful interview, the younger sprinter has insisted it was not intentional.
“They are going off on one angle,” she stressed.
Telling her version of events she said: “After a couple times of hitting her with my baton, I got stuck behind her back like this and it rolled up her back. I lost my balance, and when I pumped my arms again, she got hit. I know my intentions and I would never hit somebody on purpose.”
Tucker’s family have since served the family with court papers for a protective order while judges at the event disqualified Norcom High School for Everett’s ‘contact interference.’Featured Image Credit: LaLiga+
Topics: Sport, Spain, World News, Virginia, US News
Chess legend disqualified and fined after wearing ‘prohibited’ item of clothing during tournament
The five-time reigning chess champ then quit on a ‘matter of principle’
A chess legend has been disqualified and fined after he was caught with a ‘prohibited’ item during a top tournament this week.
On Friday (December 27), Norwegian chess great Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen – known as Magnus Carlsen – faced a tough order at the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in New York, which saw him quit the tournament on a ‘matter of principle’.
The 34-year-old grandmaster first caught the eye of the chess world in 2004 when, at the age of 13, he made headlines with his victory.
Chess grandmaster Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen has been crowned world champion several times (DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP via Getty Images)
In 2013, he was crowned World Chess Champion, a title which he went on to defend or win again for five times, plus World Blitz Chess Champion seven times and has held the top number one spot in the FIDE world chess rankings since July 2011.
So, it’s fair to say the chess prodigy knows quite a bit about the rules and regulations of the game and of the tournament etiquette.
However, the governing body barred Carlsen from participating in a round for the first time on Friday – and all for wearing a regular item of fashionable clothing.
FIDE said in a statement that it has strict dress code regulations to ‘ensure professionalism and fairness for all participants’.
Among the rules is a ban on sneakers, hats or caps and only collared shirts or polo shirts, jackets and long trousers are permitted for men, or blouses, dresses or formal t-shirts for women.
Carlsen on day 2 of the FIDE championships on Friday (Misha Friedman/Getty Images)
All clothes must be in good condition and clean before playing, and generally appear business-casual ready. But where did Carlsen go wrong?
Well, according to FIDE, jeans are deemed inappropriate ahead of such a huge tournament, and are not considered business attire by European standards.
According to ESPN, the body slapped Carlsen with a $200 fine, but had given him the chance to change into the correct clothing.
However, the chess champ rejected the offer as he told Take Take Take that he had a lunch meeting before the round and had to change quickly, but ‘didn’t even think’ about the banned item.
He said: “I put on a shirt, jacket and honestly like I didn’t even think about jeans, even changed my shoes. I didn’t even think about it … First of all, I got a fine which is fine, and then I got a warning that I would not be paired if I didn’t go change my clothes.
He quit after he was fined for wearing an item of clothing seen here ( Misha Friedman/Getty Images)
They said that I could do it after the third round today.
“I said ‘I’ll change tomorrow if that’s OK, I didn’t even realise it today’, but they said, ‘Well you have to change now.’ At that point it became a bit of a matter of principle for me.”
When asked if he would appeal the ruling, he said: “Honestly, I am too old at this point to care too much. If this is what they want to do…I guess it goes both ways, right – nobody wants to back down – and this is where we are.
“It’s fine by me. I’ll probably head off to somewhere where the weather is a bit nicer than here.”Featured Image Credit: Take Take Take
Topics: Fashion, New York, Sport, World News
