A California high school sprinter had her state championship taken away over the weekend after officials ruled that the way she celebrated was unsportsmanlike.
Clara Adams, a 16-year-old sprinter from North Salinas High School, won the 400-meter state final at the California Interscholastic Federation State Championships on Saturday with a time of 53.24 seconds. Following the race, she went over to where her father and coach were standing to retrieve a small fire extinguisher.
Adams then brought the fire extinguisher to an area near the track and sprayed her feet with it, which was a tribute to former U.S. Olympic sprinter Maurice Greene.
According to KSBW 8, CIF officials decided the act was unsportsmanlike and disqualified Adams, which stripped her of her title. Davis Adams, Clara’s father, was critical of the decision.
“When she blew the fire extinguisher, the opponents were gone,” David Adams said. “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.”
CELEBRATION DQ | A 16-year-old sprinter from North Salinas High School was disqualified from the CIF State Championships after winning the 400-meter state final due to her post-race celebration involving a fire extinguisher.
— KSBW Action News 8 (@ksbw) June 3, 2025
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A teary-eyed Adams said she “worked so hard for that title” and was crushed by the disqualification.
Greene first did the fire extinguisher celebration after he won the men’s 100-meter race with a time of 9.86 seconds at the Home Depot Invitational in 2004. Greene, who won a pair of gold medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics, called for the CIF to reinstate Adams’ title.
“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 told KSBW 8. “If it was away from everyone and not interfering with anyone, I would say reinstate her.”
The controversy is only the latest for the CIF, as the organization has also drawn scrutiny over another situation with girls’ track and field state championships.
