California teen stripped of track title after imitating iconic celebration
Share and Follow


(KTLA) – A high school track star was stripped of her title after celebrating her win in an iconic way, which also drew the ire of California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) officials.

Clara Adams, a 16-year-old North Salinas High School sophomore, had just finished first in the girls’ 400-meter race in Clovis on Saturday when video showed her walking over to the stands with a smile on her face and retrieving a fire extinguisher from her father, David.

“Then, in a celebratory moment, she took a fire extinguisher from her dad, stepped away from the track, and blasted her shoes with the retardant spray,” the Mercury News reported.

Her celebration was reminiscent of an iconic moment by 2004 track champion Maurice Greene in which he took his shoes off and had them sprayed by someone holding a fire extinguisher.

“I told Clara, ‘You’re on fire,’” David told the newspaper. “She did not do it in front of her opponents. She wasn’t disrespecting anyone.”

CIF officials saw Adams’ display as an act of unsportsmanlike behavior and disqualified her from the meet. The decision meant Adams would not have her moment on the podium and could not run in the upcoming 200-meter race in which she was one of the favorites.

Word made it back to Greene that his fire extinguisher celebration had been replicated. “When I heard, [because] 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 the television station KSBW. “If it was away from everyone and not interfering with anyone, I would say reinstate her.”

CIF officials have not publicly commented on the decision.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
What happened to Miss Universe Mexico? Here's what to know about the controversy

Unveiling the Miss Universe Mexico Scandal: What Really Happened?

A group of Miss Universe contestants, including the reigning Miss Universe 2024,…
Voters cited affordability as top concern in election

Affordability Takes Center Stage: Voters’ Top Priority in Recent Election Revealed

In the 2025 election, voters turned out in significant numbers for the…
12-year-old hero rescues capsized boaters in California harbor

Brave 12-Year-Old Heroically Rescues Capsized Boaters in California Harbor: A Tale of Courage and Quick Thinking

In an inspiring act of courage and quick thinking, a 12-year-old boy…
Ex-DOJ worker accused of hurling sandwich that ‘exploded’ on federal officer claims it was protest, not crime

Ex-DOJ Employee Defends Sandwich Toss at Federal Officer as Protest, Not Assault

A Washington, D.C., resident on trial for allegedly throwing a sandwich at…
Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley (Courtesy: OSBI)

Kansas Murder Case: Two Defendants Enter Not Guilty Plea in Moms’ Deaths

In an Oklahoma courtroom on Wednesday, two individuals accused of killing two…
Louisville UPS plane crash caught on CCTV footage

CCTV Captures Dramatic UPS Plane Crash in Louisville

Fresh perspectives on the UPS wide-body cargo plane crash in Kentucky have…
AOC delivers stark warning to 'Old Guard' after Mamdani wins NYC

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Challenges the Status Quo: A Bold Message to New York’s Political Establishment

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has hailed Zohran Mamdani’s recent triumph in New York City…
DHS fires back after viral video sparks claims about ICE daycare raid in blue city

DHS Responds to Viral Video Allegations of ICE Raid at Daycare in Major City

On Wednesday, officials clarified that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did not…