The California highschool observe star disqualified from the CIF State Championships for celebrating her win with a fireplace extinguisher broke down as she spoke of the second her desires went up in smoke.
“I worked so hard for that title,” a tearful Clara Adams, 16, instructed KSBW amid the continued controversy.
The North Salinas Excessive Faculty sophomore was stripped of her state championship title over the weekend after she paid homage to an Olympic gold medalist Maurice Greene simply moments after successful her 400-meter occasion.
A viral clip confirmed the excited teen working over and taking a fireplace extinguisher from her proud father earlier than she began spraying off her spikes.
California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) officers ended up disqualifying the teenager sprinter and stripping her of the title after deeming the celebratory stunt unsportsmanlike.
A number of individuals who gave the impression to be CIF officers might be seen watching on as seemed on as Clara sprayed her footwear.
One among them approached her quickly after the celebration and led her away, the footage reveals.
“I don’t know what’s going through my mind right now,” the teenager instructed the Mercury Information within the aftermath.
“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.”
Her father, who can also be her coach, is adamant his daughter did nothing unsuitable — insisting that she wasn’t close to any of her fellow opponents when she carried out the stunt.
“When she blew the fire extinguisher, the opponents were gone,” her dad, David, stated within the KSBW interview.
“That was our moment of celebration, and CIF officials made it about them. The crowd went crazy, they loved it, the CIF booth went crazy, they loved it. But those few guys in those jackets took offense to it, didn’t like it, and made a decision based off emotions.”
The choice got here simply moments earlier than she was slated to run within the 200-meter occasion, which she had been of the favorites to win.
The ruling meant she wasn’t allowed to compete.
The choice to disqualify the observe star instantly sparked widespread outrage.
Maurice Greene, the sprinting icon who made the celebration well-known, was amongst those that urged officers to overturn the choice.
“When I heard, cause it happened, and then people just started calling me ‘This girl who just ran the 400 did your celebration’ I was like huh? What?” Greene stated.
“If it was away from everyone and not interfering with anyone, I would say reinstate her.”
Below CIF’s code of conduct, athletes are anticipated to “be a good sport, teach and model class, be gracious in victory and accept defeat with dignity; encourage student-athletes to give fallen opponents a hand, compliment extraordinary performance, and show sincere respect in pre- and post-game rituals.”
