Latest news with #disqualification
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
California high school sprinter stripped of state title due to 'unsportsmanlike' fire-extinguisher celebration
A California high-school sprinter was stripped of the state title after an "unsportsmanlike" celebration with a fire extinguisher, according to the Los Angeles Times. Clara Adams, a 16-year-old sophomore at North Salinas High, finished the 400-meter finals .28 seconds before her closest competitor, but was disqualified by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) due to her celebration. Following the win, Adams obtained a "small fire extinguisher" from her father in the stands. Adams then sprayed her cleats, implying they were on fire due to her blazing speed. The CIF disqualified Adams from both the 400-meter finals and the 200-meter finals due to that celebration, which they deemed "unsportsmanlike." Advertisement Adams told the Los Angeles Times she was "robbed," saying she was just having fun with the celebration. "I was having fun,' Adams said, noting her win in the 400 marked her first state title. 'I'd never won something like that before, and they took it away from me. I didn't do anything wrong.' She added: 'I worked really hard for it and they took it from me, and I don't know what to do.' David Adams, Clara's father, said the CIF ruled "unsporting conduct" against his daughter. David claimed officials were "really nasty" to Clara. Unsporting conduct can include "disrespectfully addressing an official, any flagrant behavior, intentional contact, taunting, criticizing or using profanity directed toward someone," per the National Federation of State High School Associations. David said that rule was cited as a "gray area" that the CIF used to justify the decision. David said the celebration was a tribute to Maurice Greene, a former U.S. sprinter who used the same celebration at the Home Depot Invitational in 2004. Broadcasters laughed at Greene's celebration, which took place in the middle of the track. Advertisement David argued Clara's antics didn't qualify as unsportsmanlike because she performed her celebration away from the track, per the Los Angeles Times. "Looking at the film, Clara is nowhere near any opponent,' he said. 'She's off the track, on the grass. Her opponents are long gone off the track already, so she wasn't in their face. It was a father-daughter moment. ... She did it off the track because she didn't want to seem disrespectful toward nobody. And they still found a reason to take her title away. They didn't give her a warning or anything.' The CIF and North Salinas High track and field head coach Alan Green did not respond to the Los Angeles Times when reached for comment. David Adams threatened to take legal action against the CIF if the organization won't return his calls. Following Clara's disqualification, St. Mary's Academy in Inglewood sprinter Madison Mosby was awarded the win in the 400-meter finals.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Ex-world darts champion Rob Cross banned as director over taxes
Former world darts champion Rob Cross has been disqualified from acting as a company director for five years after his business failed to pay more than £450,000 in Insolvency Service said it also found the darts player withdrew more than £300,000 from Rob Cross Darts Limited between 2020 and 2023 that should have gone to ban prevents him from being involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the who previously lived in Hastings but was born in Pembury, Kent, has been contacted for a comment by the BBC. 'Directly impact funding' In an attempt to repay part of his debts, Cross has entered into an Individual Voluntary Arrangement, a legally binding agreement where he has committed to making regular payments to an insolvency practitioner. Rob Cross Darts Limited was set up in May 2017 for the darts player to receive his earnings and prize money, the government Insolvency Service said its investigations found the company received more than £1m from Mr Cross's earnings between the start of March 2020 and liquidation in November the time the company went into liquidation, it owed £403,896 in corporation tax, £49,071 in VAT and £12,436 in PAYE and National Insurance company had only paid £41,936 to HMRC between March 2020 and November 2023, the government said. Mr Cross's director's loan account was also overdrawn by £423,608 when the company went into liquidation with liabilities of £579, than £650,000 was also paid into the personal account of a connected party, the Insolvency Service Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) has also been contacted for a Read, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: "When directors fail to pay the correct amount of tax, it directly impacts the government's ability to fund vital public services such as the NHS, schools, transport infrastructure and our national defence."
The Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Former world darts champion Rob Cross banned as director after company failed to pay more than £450k in tax
FORMER world darts champion Rob Cross has been disqualified as a director for five years after his company failed to pay more than £450,000 in tax. Voltage, 34, is banned as a company director until June 2030 and entered into an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) last year in a bid to pay off some of the money he owes. 2 2 The Insolvency Service also found that the Premier League Darts star withdrew more than £300,000 from Rob Cross Darts Limited between March 2020 and November 2023 that should have gone to creditors, including to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The world No.9 also took out more than £400,000 from Rob Cross Darts Limited – which was set up eight years ago to receive his earnings and prize money – in the form of a director's loan account by the time the company went into liquidation. In an attempt to repay part of his debts, Cross has entered into an IVA, a legally binding agreement where he has committed to making regular payments to an insolvency practitioner. The monthly contributions Cross makes to the IVA will vary depending on the income he receives through his performances at darts tournaments during this year and future years. Cross famously won the PDC World Darts Championship in 2018 – he trounced the retiring Phil Taylor 7-2 in the final – on his debut appearance in the competition. Kevin Read, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: "When directors fail to pay the correct amount of tax, it directly impacts the government's ability to fund vital public services such as the NHS, schools, transport infrastructure and our national defence. "Rob Cross's company owed more than £400,000 in corporation tax alone when it went into liquidation. "For more than three years, he withdrew funds from the company which should have gone to HMRC and other creditors. "This case demonstrates that we will pursue action against directors who deprive the public purse of much-needed funds. "The rules apply equally to everyone in business, and we expect all company directors to comply with their legal responsibilities. Fans sing along to Luke Littler's walk-on song as darts star shares footage from stage "Enforcing these rules consistently is crucial in maintaining a level playing field and preventing companies from gaining an unfair competitive advantage over compliant businesses that properly fulfil their tax obligations." Rob Cross Darts Limited was formed in May 2017, with Cross appointed as director on the same day. Insolvency Service investigations found that the company received more than £1million from Cross's earnings between the start of March 2020 and the date of liquidation in November 2023. A total of £169,500 in sponsorships and £261,901 from his management company was also paid into the company. However, in the same period, Cross withdrew funds of at least £306,403 from the company which he acknowledged was 'to the risk and ultimate detriment of HMRC'. A further £665,419 was paid into the personal account of a connected party. By the time the company went into liquidation, it owed £403,896 in corporation tax, £49,071 in VAT, and £12,436 in PAYE and National Insurance contributions. The company had only paid £41,936 to HMRC between March 2020 and November 2023. Cross's director's loan account was also overdrawn by £423,608 when the company went into liquidation with liabilities of £579,805. The Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted a disqualification undertaking from Cross – a former electrician – and his ban started on June 5. It prevents him from being involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court. Nordic Darts Masters.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Track athlete who lost medal for celebration laments her punishment while trans athlete took girls' titles
California girls' track and field star Clara Adams and her father called out the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) for stripping her of her state title over a celebration while allowing trans athlete AB Hernandez to win two gold medals at the state championship last weekend. Adams was stripped of her title and disqualified for a celebration that involved her spraying a fire extinguisher on her shoes after winning the girls' 400m. Meanwhile, Hernandez took first place in high jump and triple jump and second place in long jump, despite President Donald Trump ordering the state to follow his Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports executive order prior to the event. During an interview on Fox News' "The Will Cain Show" on Wednesday, Adams addressed the controversial comparison between the two athletes' situations. "It just doesn't add up to me in my head," Adams said, adding that she now also has to potentially worry about a biological male competing against her in the future. "It's just not fair, and then comparing the situation, it's just like, 'So, what I did was just so not OK and inappropriate that I had to get DQ'd, but this, what is going on over here in the jumps, is appropriate and OK." Adams' father, David Adams, expressed his stance on the comparison during the interview as well. "It's being celebrated," he said of Hernandez's victory, saying his family is "lost" on the decision. "I watched AB Hernandez jump. AB Hernandez is talented. She can jump against those girls, she can jump very well. I watched her jump, I watched myself, I saw it, and they celebrated AB Hernandez on the podium, and Clara was disqualified for having a celebration, so that's where we're kind of lost. Our families are lost on that, we're lost on that right there, we're very lost on that. "I'm confused now. Do I have to worry about AB Hernandez jumping into the 400m next year?" David Adams also doubled-down on the belief that the decision to revoke his daughter's title was racially motivated. "I know for a fact that the history of our country when it comes to celebrations, when a White girl celebrates or a White boy celebrates, it's called, 'He's passionate. It's good for the sport. We need this for the sport.' But when a Black girl or Black boy or Brown girl or Brown boy, they celebrate, it's deemed as unprofessional, unsportsmanlike, it's ghetto," he said. "So why is it OK for one to celebrate but not the other?" Trump sent a warning to California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state last Tuesday, threatening to cut federal funding to the state if a trans athlete competed in the girls' track and field championship. The CIF responded by amending its rules to accommodate female athletes who finished behind a trans athlete in the three events Hernandez competed in, thus granting them qualification and podium finishes they would have earned had a biologically male athlete not competed in those events. This resulted in Hernandez having to share podium spots with the female athletes who finished one spot behind Hernandez after the finals on Saturday. A bipartisan survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found the majority of California residents oppose biological male trans athletes competing in women's sports. That figure included more than 70% of the state's school parents. "Most Californians support requiring transgender athletes to compete on teams matching the sex they were assigned at birth," the poll stated. "Solid majorities of adults (65%) and likely voters (64%) support requiring that transgender athletes compete on teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth, not the gender they identify with. An overwhelming majority of public school parents (71%) support such a requirement." Meanwhile, Newsom said he believed trans athletes competing in girls' sports was "deeply unfair" during an episode of his podcast in March. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Ex-Olympian hits out after high school track star was disqualified for copying his 'unsportsmanlike' celebration
Former Olympic champion Maurice Greene has called for the high school track star disqualified from a state championship for recreating one of his famous celebrations to be reinstated. Clara Adams, a runner for North Salinas High School in California, was stripped of her 400m state title at the weekend and disqualified from the meet as a whole after she celebrated in a way the governing body deemed 'disrespectful'. After finishing second in the preliminary heats, she crossed the line in first to take the gold for her own before running over to her father as he produced a fire extinguisher. She grabbed the extinguisher from her father and sprayed her shoes with it - as if to say that they were on fire - in a celebration reminiscent of Greene's after he won the 100-meter dash at the 2004 Home Depot Invitational. Though despite her father claiming it took place away from her competitors and that she 'wasn't disrespecting anyone', the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) decided the celebration was unsportsmanlike and stripped Adams' of her championship before throwing her out of the meet. And Greene - who won two Olympic gold medals in his own career - believes Clara's disqualification should be overturned if the celebration was performed away from her competitors. 'When I heard, cause it happened, and then people just started calling me 'This girl who just ran the 400 did your celebration' I was like huh? What?' the ex-athlete told KSBW-TV on Monday. 'If it was away from everyone and not interfering with anyone, I would say reinstate her.' Adams crossed the line with a time of 52.24 seconds, just one-hundredth slower than the state-leading time she achieved the week prior. After being disqualified, she was prevented from competing in the 200m event later that day. 'I don't know what's going through my mind right now,' Clara told the Monterey Herald. 'I'm disappointed and I feel robbed. I am in shock. They (officials) yelled at me and told me "we're not letting you on the podium." They took my moment away from me.' David, meanwhile, claimed they were 'on the other side of the wall' from the track while alleging that the decision to disqualify his black daughter was due to her race. 'We have protested the decision, I feel it was racially motivated,' he told the Herald. Adams' coach, Alan Green, called it 'a very unfortunate event', adding, 'We are all heartbroken. Clara ran an incredible 400 race and is the fastest 400-meter girl in the state. 'She was trying to have some fun at the finish line after the 400. It was interpreted as unsportsmanlike. 'What an incredible season and run. It's unfortunate.'
