AB Hernandez, a transgender athlete, dominated the Division 3 Girls’ triple jump competition at the Ontario Relays in Southern California, setting a new meet record with a remarkable 40-foot jump—a full eight feet ahead of the second-place finisher.
Hernandez’s exceptional performance wasn’t limited to the triple jump. The junior athlete also claimed victories in the long jump and Sprint Medley Relay (SMR), showcasing remarkable versatility across multiple events.
“I think I was really nervous. I was like, oh, my God, I was so nervous. Like, just jump good, please,” Hernandez said following the record-setting performance. “After coming off of the big win at Arcadia, I was like, you can’t just go at it over. You have to do good.”
Looking ahead, Hernandez has set ambitious goals: “Expectations are just to keep my phases longer, push more, work out more, get further, hopefully hit a 41 this year if it’s possible, preferably at state so that I can possibly win.”
The athlete attributes recent success to dedicated training: “Training’s been pretty hard, light days. In the beginning of the week, it’s pretty hard, and then we get lighter as the day goes on to prepare for the meet.”
The record-breaking performance has intensified ongoing discussions about transgender participation in women’s sports. Sports commentator Beth Bourne noted in a viral post: “UNREAL. On Saturday, AB Hernandez, a trans-identified boy, set the Division 3 Girls’ triple jump meet record at the Ontario Relays meet in SoCal with a 40-foot triple jump, a full 8 feet longer than 2nd place (32′-03″).”
The debate has gained national attention, with a recent CNN poll showing that 79% of Americans oppose allowing transgender female athletes to compete in women’s sports, while only 18% support it. The opposition has grown significantly from 62% in 2021 to 79% in 2025, with remarkable bipartisan agreement: 67% of Democrats, 64% of independents, and 94% of Republicans oppose such participation.
“You rarely get 79 percent of the country to agree on anything,” noted CNN’s senior political analyst Harry Enten. “You rarely get 67 percent of Democrats and 94 percent of Republicans to agree on anything. But they do on this particular issue.”
In response to growing concerns, several states have implemented legislation restricting transgender participation in female sports, while federal measures have been introduced to enforce Title IX protections based on biological sex for schools receiving federal funding.
