Joshua Liu, the younger brother of Olympic figure skating champion Alysa Liu, has been competing in girls' high school sports in California, winning every 200- and 400-meter race for Albany High School's girls track team this season. The junior most recently won the women's 400-meter race at the Tri-County Athletic League Finals on May 8, according to reports from Reddux. Joshua Liu, who uses the name Jaylin, also played on Albany High School's girls' basketball team and competes in girls' ultimate frisbee, where observers described his performance as dominant at summer tournaments.
The situation has drawn renewed attention to debates over transgender athlete participation in women's sports, an issue that has generated conflicting views among policymakers, athletes, and advocacy groups across the political spectrum. Alysa Liu won Olympic gold in figure skating earlier this year and received the ESPY for Best Breakthrough Athlete.
What the Right Is Saying
Kim Jones, co-founder of Independent Council on Women's Sports (ICONS), told The Daily Wire that Alysa Liu represents the pinnacle of female athletic achievement and that her brother's participation in girls' sports undermines that legacy. "It is a crime that girls in California are still being forced to compete against boys," Jones said. She argued that women's sports categories exist to recognize and celebrate female athletes on their own merits, and without such categories, male performance standards become the default. Jones called on Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and federal officials to protect female competition. "When we reach a point where we demand that middle school girls take a public stance or a female Olympian speak out against her own family, leadership has failed to do the easiest thing in the world," she said.
What the Left Is Saying
Transgender rights advocates have argued that inclusive policies allow all students to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity, citing research suggesting that athletic ability varies widely among individuals regardless of sex assigned at birth. Supporters contend that excluding transgender athletes from school sports can cause significant psychological harm and does not necessarily provide competitive advantages. Some progressive groups have pointed to existing anti-discrimination protections that require schools to respect students' gender identities in extracurricular activities.
What the Numbers Show
The International Olympic Committee announced new eligibility standards earlier this year requiring athletes competing in the female category to meet biological sex criteria based on SRY gene screening. IOC President Kirsty Coventry addressed the policy at a press conference, stating it is designed to protect women's competition. "I understand this is a very sensitive topic," Coventry said. "As a former athlete I passionately believe in all Olympians to take part in fair competition. The policy that we have announced is based on science. The scientific evidence is very clear. Male chromosomes give performance advantages in sports that rely on strength, power and endurance." She added: "It would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category."
The Bottom Line
The situation at Albany High School highlights ongoing tensions between state-level inclusive policies and international athletic governing bodies' efforts to establish clear eligibility standards. California law permits transgender students to participate on sports teams consistent with their gender identity, while IOC policy now requires SRY gene screening for Olympic competition. Whether state high school athletic associations will revise their rules to align with the IOC framework remains an open question. The debate reflects broader disagreements about how to balance inclusion, competitive fairness, and the preservation of women's sports categories.