Jaylin Liu, the sibling of Olympic gold medal-winning figure skater Alysa Liu, has drawn attention for competing in girls’ high school track events in California.
According to a report from Reduxx, Liu previously went by the first name Joshua and now identifies as female. Liu has competed for athletic programs connected to Albany High School and El Cerrito High School and has posted several strong results since the 2025 outdoor track season.
At Albany, Liu reportedly earned eight first-place finishes across meets and races during the 2025 season. Those results included a second-place finish in the 400-meter race at the North Coast Section Bayshore Championship and a first-place finish in the 200-meter race at the 2025 Tri-County Athletic League Frosh-Soph Championship.
The report also stated that Liu finished first in every girls’ 200-meter and 400-meter event entered for Albany during that period. That included a victory at the Tri-County Athletic League Finals on May 8.
Based on the results cited in the report, Liu ranked as Albany’s top girls’ runner in both the 200-meter and 400-meter events. Liu was also listed as the leading girls’ quarter-mile runner in the Tri-County Athletic League.
The case has become part of the continuing national debate over whether transgender athletes should be permitted to compete in sports divisions based on gender identity rather than biological sex. Supporters of sex-based athletic categories argue that physical differences associated with male puberty can create competitive advantages, particularly in events involving speed, strength and endurance. Advocates for transgender participation argue that students should be allowed to compete in a way that is consistent with their gender identity and that athletic policies should avoid excluding transgender students.
🚨Heartbreaking: Another California boy programmed and gr*omed to believe he’s a girl.
Joshua “Jaylin” Liu is the brother of Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu. He competes for Albany High School racking up wins in Girls’ track and field in the 200m and 400m dash. He also… https://t.co/C9afkpnuvp pic.twitter.com/O2qzXjZL7O
— Beth Bourne (@bourne_beth2345) July 14, 2026
The legal landscape surrounding the issue has also continued to develop. In a recent ruling involving Title IX and school athletics, the U.S. Supreme Court addressed how the word “sex” should be interpreted under federal law.
In the decision, the court stated that the term “sex” in Title IX, the Javits Amendment and related regulations refers to biological sex. The ruling was decided by a 6-3 majority.
The decision was viewed as a significant victory for states and school systems seeking to preserve separate athletic categories for male and female students. It also represented a setback for activists who have argued that federal civil rights protections require schools to allow students to participate in sports according to their gender identity.
The broader dispute is unlikely to end with a single court decision. States, school districts and athletic associations continue to adopt different rules, and additional lawsuits are expected as those policies are challenged.
Liu’s results have added another example to a debate that has become increasingly prominent in high school and college sports. For critics of transgender participation in girls’ athletics, the concern centers on competitive fairness and the purpose of sex-separated divisions. For supporters, the focus is on inclusion, student well-being and equal access to school activities.
As the legal and political arguments continue, cases involving individual student-athletes are likely to remain at the center of the discussion. The challenge for schools and athletic organizations will be creating rules that comply with the law while addressing concerns about fairness, privacy and participation for all students.
