WNBA guard Sophie Cunningham waved the checkered flag at the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix on Sunday at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, an honor that drew both praise and criticism online.
Cunningham was at the track as a guest of the Cadillac F1 team, which is competing in its home race. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli led the race from start to finish, and Cunningham was given the role of waving the checkered flag as he crossed the finish line.
Celebrity guests are a regular presence in F1 paddocks, with teams inviting a wide range of public figures to races. The flag-waving duty, however, is reserved for a chosen few, and this weekend that distinction went to Cunningham.
The selection prompted criticism from some on social media, a reaction that followed Cunningham’s past public comments stating that women’s sports should be reserved for biological women. Cunningham has also publicly commended Washington state girls who walked off a cross country race over the inclusion of a male teammate.
Cunningham has also drawn attention from political figures recently. President Trump shouted her out at an Ohio rally, calling her
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