"Transgender Showcases 'Overwhelming Skill'
"Biological Sex Should Be the Rule" Criticism"
A video showing a transgender woman who transitioned from male competing in a women's track and field event at a high school in the United States and finishing first has sparked controversy.
On the 15th (local time), Daily Mail and others reported that Aiden Gallagher, a sophomore at McDaniel High School, faced criticism as a video of him overwhelmingly winning first place in a track and field event against other athletes spread widely. Biologically male, he identifies as female.
Earlier, on the 13th, he participated in the women's 200m event at the 'Sherwood Need for Speed Classic' held in Oregon. In the video of the race, Gallagher, wearing red, is seen sprinting at the front of the track, with other athletes trailing far behind. Gallagher crossed the finish line in 25.49 seconds, while the other competitors reached the finish line about 5 seconds later, around 30 seconds.
Netizens pointed out that it is unfair for Gallagher, who is biologically male, to compete alongside women. Canadian author and podcaster Megan Murphy said, "This is disgusting and revolting. Why does his coach allow cheating, and why do the girls' coaches and parents not protest this?" Canadian national powerlifting athlete April Hutchinson called this a "typical case of cheating." Hutchinson criticized, "He is waiting to beat women, be celebrated, and seek recognition. Gallagher is a liar." British shot putter Amelia Strickler also argued, "Biological sex should be the rule."
The Oregon School Sports Association's regulations state, "If a transgender student informs the school of their gender identity, they must be consistently treated as that gender in sports and activities. They cannot participate on teams of a different gender in the same season." According to the regulations, Gallagher could not be prevented from competing in the women's division.
However, Gallagher placed second overall in the women's division that day. First place was taken by Esther Jones, a biologically female athlete, who recorded a time of 24.43 seconds. If Gallagher had competed in the men's 200m event, he would have ranked 61st out of 65 participants.
Meanwhile, conflicts over transgender women competing in women's sports are occurring across the United States. In February, a transgender player reportedly participated in a high school girls' basketball game in Massachusetts, sparking controversy. This player had a height advantage of about a head and a male skeletal structure compared to other players. Notably, during a physical confrontation with this player, an opposing player was pushed down onto the court, suffering a back injury that halted the game.
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