Girl Celebrates With Fire Extinguisher After Winning State Track Finals. Officials Then Take Title Right Away

A California high school athlete was stripped of her first-place title in the 400-meter dash after celebrating with a fire extinguisher on the track Saturday.

Clara Adams, a sophomore at North Salinas, celebrated her first-place finish by spraying her shoes with a fire extinguisher in a celebratory moment between her and her father after running at a speed of 53.24 seconds, according to the Monterey Herald.

The celebration led to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) stripping Clara of her state title, calling it an “unsportsmanlike act.” (RELATED: Biological Man Wins Two Titles In Women’s Track And Field Events As Trump Threatens To Cut Federal Funding)

While it’s being protested, Clara Adams of North Salinas was disqualified for taking a fire extinguisher and blowing off her shoes away from the track after winning the 400 meters

— John Devine (@JohnJDevine) June 1, 2025

The CIF also disqualified Clara from competing in the 200-meter race, where she was a favorite to finish in the top three.

“I told Clara ‘you’re on fire,’” Clara’s father told the outlet. “She did not do it in front of her opponents. She wasn’t disrespecting anyone.”

Clara’s sprint coach, David Adams, protested the decision — saying it was racially motivated.

“I have video of it … She was on the other side of the wall. 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,” Adams told the outlet.

Clara finished fourth in the state finals last year as a freshman and is the Monterey County record holder for the 400-meter, the outlet reported.

“I don’t know what’s going through my mind right now,” Clara said in a statement. “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.”