17-year-old Verónica Garcia won the 2A 400m title in Washington for the second year in a row, facing jeers from a man wearing a “Save Women’s Sports” shirt during the event.
After her 55.70-second win, Garcia held a sign reading “Real Girls 2A 400m Champion” and told The Seattle Times: “It made me angry, but I used it to push harder. I’m proud of what I did.”
She criticized hecklers, saying, “It’s a shame they don’t have anything better to do.”
Runner-up Lauren Matthew, finishing one second behind, misgendered Garcia in her post-race comments, sparking further controversy.