American contestant Jammie Booker, who admitted in a 2017 video that he is a “trans woman,” beat the UK’s Andrea Thompson at the event in Arlington, Texas.
Thompson was immediately incensed over losing to a transgender opponent. After Booker was handed the win, Thompson walked away from the podium, saying, “This is bullshit,” the Daily Mail reported.
Some of the contestants claimed that no one was aware that Booker was transgender.
Contestant Rebecca Roberts was so upset over Booker’s win that she took to her Instagram and posted an image reading “‘protect women’s sports.” Roberts also added that she has no “hate” for transgender people.
“But I cannot stay silent about something that threatens the fairness and future of women’s strength sports. Transgender women, people born male, should not be competing in the women’s category,” she wrote.
“This isn’t about identity. It isn’t about politics. It’s about the undeniable physical differences that exist in strength-based sports… differences that don’t disappear, and that matter more here than almost anywhere else. Women’s categories were created for a reason, and if we lose that, we lose the foundation of our sport,” she continued.
Thompson went on to insist that Booker’s participation in the event was not “transparent” and insisted “none of us knew.”
“Not even the organizers knew. And when fairness is taken by surprise, trust in the sport begins to crack,” she said.
“My message is simple. Trans people belong in sport, but women’s divisions must remain biologically born female-only,” she wrote.
Thompson’s coach and supporters insisted that Booker didn’t win the competition and that Thompson was the rightful winner.
“You worked your a** off for this, and I’m so proud of you,” Thompson’s coach, Laurence Shahlaei, said on social media. “You absolutely dominated the deadlift, log, and circus dumbbell, and while there are still a couple of weaknesses to work on, you were still the strongest woman on the day.”
“This win hasn’t come without controversy, but I want to make it very clear that while I support and applaud people for being who they want to be, sport is sport and the women’s classes exist for a reason,” Shahlaei added.
Booker was also criticized by one of his own sponsors, equipment seller Iron Ape. The company said they had “reason to believe” that Booker “misrepresented critical information” to the event’s officials. And the company has cut ties with the competitor.
“Effective immediately, Jammie Booker has been removed from the Iron Ape athlete roster… this is not a matter of Jammie’s gender identity. Iron Ape does not, and never will, discriminate against individuals based on gender, race, sexual orientation, or any other personal characteristic,” company owner Colton Cross said in a statement.
“We expect every Iron Ape athlete to uphold the highest standards of sportsmanship. When those standards are violated, decisive action must be taken,” Cross added.
Mitchell Hooper, the 2023 World’s Strongest Man winner, has also waded into the controversy and says he has always been suspicious about Booker.
“The first time I saw Jammie, I said: ‘This woman looks different,’” Hooper insisted. “She was probably three to four inches taller, and probably 80lbs heavier than her closest competitor.”
“Whatever you want to be you want to be, but there is a time when you have to take a stand for women’s sports,” Hooper added.
For his part, Booker has posted a message on Instagram celebrating his win. The Instagram account is set to private.
“You are all insanely badass women, and it was an honor just to even share the stage with you and to be there to cheer you on and be cheered on by you,” Booker said of his opponents, according to The Daily Mail.
“I genuinely did not expect this outcome, and I’m not saying that in a way to gloat or be prideful. When I signed up for this competition, I did not expect to win – it was a pipe dream,” Booker continued.
The controversial contestant concluded by saying that he doesn’t know “what comes next” or where he will next compete.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: Facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston, Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston, or at X/Twitter @WTHuston
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