Transgender Athlete 'was Very Dishonest' Says World's Strongest Woman

A British jock crowned nan world's strongest female says she was "robbed" of her winning infinitesimal aft it emerged nan original champion was a transgender female who was ineligible to compete.

Andrea Thompson was awarded nan title retrospectively aft American jock Jammie Booker was disqualified.

Thompson told BBC Sport nan competition, held successful Arlington, Texas, was "overshadowed by personification who shouldn't person been there".

"I was very disappointment and angry pinch what she’s done," she said. "She lied and was very dishonest, and took distant a batch of things from a batch of women.

"The woman that came 11th didn't get nan chance to do nan 3rd day... to person nan apical 10 position successful nan world."

Organisers, Official Strongman, said "competitors could only compete successful nan class for their biologic activity recorded astatine birth", and that they had disqualified nan jock successful mobility "who is biologically male".

Records show Booker took portion successful astatine slightest 2 different strongwoman competitions this twelvemonth - winning nan Rainier Classic successful June and finishing 2nd astatine North America's Strongest Woman successful July.

BBC Sport was incapable to interaction Booker and Official Strongman said "an effort had been made to interaction nan competitor... but a consequence had not been received."

Thompson, 43, yet became nan world's strongest female for nan 2nd time, having antecedently won nan title successful 2018.

But it was only aft this year's arena vanished that she learned her rival had been ineligible to compete.

"There was thing astatine each during nan title - no-one had immoderate logic to fishy anything," said nan mother of 2 from Suffolk.

"It was astir six hours aft that nan first rumours started going round, and past nan organisers contacted me.

"It's a monolithic accomplishment that's been overshadowed by immoderate dishonesty."

Strength contests person nary azygous governing body, instead, backstage organisations tally a scope of competitions.

The World's Strongest Woman title is awarded astatine nan Official Strongman Games, tally by Official Strongman Worldwide, a institution registered successful nan UK.

More than 400 athletes from astir 40 countries took portion successful this year's event, which organisers picture arsenic "one of nan pinnacles of nan spot world".

The Games included contests crossed aggregate gender, weight and property classifications.

Thompson and Booker were successful nan Women's Open class and competed successful six disciplines complete 3 days, including nan log press, timber framework transportation and deadlift ladder.

A connection from Official Strongman said: "Athletes are assigned to men's aliases women's categories based connected whether they are recorded arsenic antheral aliases female astatine birth.

"It appears that an jock who is biologically antheral and who now identifies arsenic female competed successful nan Women's Open category... officials were unaware of this truth up of nan competition."

In 2023, Texas introduced a rule prohibiting "biological men from competing against female athletes", though this only applies to assemblage and assemblage athletics successful nan state.

Thompson believes strongwoman events whitethorn present activity screening successful nan future.

"I conjecture it's going to person to spell down that route... but our athletics is still rather new. There's not capable money successful it to person these things successful place. We trust connected nan honesty of nan athletes."

In caller years a increasing number of sports federations person barred athletes who person gone done antheral puberty from competing successful elite female competition, amid concerns complete fairness and safety, including World Aquatics and World Athletics.

In May nan Football Association and nan England and Wales Cricket Board were among a number of British sports bodies to travel suit, aft nan UK Supreme Court's ruling that nan ineligible meaning of a female is based connected biologic sex.

The moves person been opposed by trans authorities campaigners, who reason they could break quality authorities and insist inclusion should beryllium prioritised.

Both World Athletics and World Boxing introduced familial activity screening this year, claiming it is needed to protect nan integrity of women's competition.

A World Athletics charismatic has claimed that betwixt 50 and 60 athletes who went done antheral puberty person been finalists successful nan female class successful world and continental way and section championships since 2000.