The most read Vietnamese newspaper
Edition: International | Vietnamese
© Copyright 1997 VnExpress.net. All rights reserved.
At the Portland Interscholastic League Track and Field Championships held on March 19, Gallagher, who now identifies as Ada, finished the 400 m race in 57.62 seconds, nearly 10 seconds ahead of the runner-up, Kinnaly Souphanthong, who clocked in at 1 minute and 5.72 seconds. In the 200 m event, Gallagher also set a season record at a time of 25.76 seconds, 1.5 seconds faster than the second-place finisher, NY Post reported.
Videos of Gallagher pulling far ahead of the competition quickly went viral, triggering criticism on social media and reigniting debates over transgender participation in women’s sports.
Ada Gallagher dominates the girls' 200 m race at the Portland Interscholastic League Track and Field Championships on March 19, 2025. Video taken from X
Former National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) swimmer and outspoken advocate Riley Gaines, who has positioned herself as a leading voice against transgender athletes competing in female categories, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) and even tagged United States Attorney General Pam Bondi in the post.
"Another day, another male athlete dominates women’s sports. Ada Gallagher sets a season record and beats the fastest girl by over 7 seconds. Hasn’t he got any shame? Have his parents got any shame?"
Gallagher, who is listed as 5 ft 11 and 155 pounds in her National College Scouting Association (NCSA) profile, previously addressed the criticism in a self-written bio, stating:
"I'm able to continue running when thousands of people wish for me to stop and doubt my integrity."
According to Daily Mail, in a 2023 interview with her high school newspaper, Gallagher shared her thoughts on beginning hormone replacement therapy, saying:
"I feel like it would make me a lot more confident. Because right now, I’m becoming more masculine. More facial hair, things like that. And I don’t want that. Estrogen and other hormones, along with voice training, would make me a lot happier and more confident."
Ada Gallagher dominates the girls' 400 m race at the Portland Interscholastic League Track and Field Championships on March 19, 2025. Video taken from X
According to the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) policy on gender identity in sports, "the OSAA endeavors to allow students to participate for the athletic or activity program of their consistently asserted gender identity while providing a fair and safe environment for all students."
The policy adds that such rules aim to "promote harmony and fair competition among member schools by maintaining equal participation and increasing the number of students who have the opportunity to participate in interscholastic activities."
Amid increasing national debate, President Donald Trump, after returning to office, signed an executive order titled "Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports."
The order declares: "In recent years, many educational institutions and athletic associations have allowed men to compete in women’s sports. This is demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls, and denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports".
