British strongwoman Andrea Thompson has expressed her disappointment and frustration at being awarded the world's strongest woman title, only to discover that the previous champion was a transgender woman who was ineligible to compete.
Thompson, 43, from Suffolk, believes the original champion, American athlete Jammie Booker, should not have been allowed to participate in the competition as she identifies as female but is biologically male.
"I was very frustrated and angry with what she's done," Thompson said. "She lied and was very dishonest, and took away a lot of things from a lot of women."
Thompson expressed concerns over the lack of transparency in the event and how it affected other competitors. The athlete revealed that there were no signs or suspicions during the competition, but officials only found out after the fact.
"It's a massive achievement that's been overshadowed by some dishonesty," Thompson said.
Strength contests have multiple governing bodies, with private organisations running competitions like the Official Strongman Games. Athletes are assigned to categories based on their biological sex at birth.
However, sports federations are introducing measures such as genetic sex screening in recent years, citing concerns over fairness and safety. World Athletics and World Boxing introduced this practice, claiming it is necessary to protect women's competition integrity.
Thompson stated that the inclusion of trans athletes should be prioritised but noted that her sport still relies on athlete honesty.
In related news, a growing number of sports federations have barred athletes who went through male puberty from competing in elite female competitions amid concerns over fairness and safety.
Thompson, 43, from Suffolk, believes the original champion, American athlete Jammie Booker, should not have been allowed to participate in the competition as she identifies as female but is biologically male.
"I was very frustrated and angry with what she's done," Thompson said. "She lied and was very dishonest, and took away a lot of things from a lot of women."
Thompson expressed concerns over the lack of transparency in the event and how it affected other competitors. The athlete revealed that there were no signs or suspicions during the competition, but officials only found out after the fact.
"It's a massive achievement that's been overshadowed by some dishonesty," Thompson said.
Strength contests have multiple governing bodies, with private organisations running competitions like the Official Strongman Games. Athletes are assigned to categories based on their biological sex at birth.
However, sports federations are introducing measures such as genetic sex screening in recent years, citing concerns over fairness and safety. World Athletics and World Boxing introduced this practice, claiming it is necessary to protect women's competition integrity.
Thompson stated that the inclusion of trans athletes should be prioritised but noted that her sport still relies on athlete honesty.
In related news, a growing number of sports federations have barred athletes who went through male puberty from competing in elite female competitions amid concerns over fairness and safety.
... like, I get why they want to ensure fairness and safety but is it really necessary to make things so complicated? 
And what about all the women who are actually strong but don't fit into traditional binary categories? Shouldn't they have a chance too? 
It's not like Andrea Thompson was perfect either, she made mistakes too... and now everyone's getting caught up in this drama 
. Can't we just focus on supporting each other and being inclusive? 
. Can't we just find a way to make everything fair and inclusive for everyone?
. And now they're saying trans women shouldn't be able to compete in female sports because it's "not fair" to cis women 
? Like, come on! If we're talking about fairness, how about fairness for the trans athletes who are just trying to participate? They've already faced so much drama and discrimination in their lives... shouldn't we be supporting them instead of excluding them? 
And what's with all these new "measures" being introduced - genetic sex screening this, hormone testing that... it's like they're not trusting athletes to be honest about who they are anymore 
. Can't we just focus on inclusivity and sportsmanship instead of making everything so complicated? 
. Andrea Thompson's got a point that the competition process wasn't transparent enough - I would've liked to see some warning signs or checks in place before the scandal came out 
.
... which is pretty cringeworthy, if you ask me 
. I guess what I'm saying is, we need to find a better way to balance fairness with inclusivity 
.
The fact that there were no signs or suspicions during the competition is wild - what kinda system don't pick up on this kinda thing?! 
this is so confusing... i mean i get why they want to make sure women's competition is fair but shouldn't we be supporting everyone and not just one way? 
43 years old to be still figuring out who she is? that's wild... 
btw i thought strength contests were all about being strong? 
. Like, if you're gonna cheat to win, that's not someone I'd wanna be celebrating with! And what's with all these new rules about genetic sex screening? It's a good idea to keep women safe and fair in competition, but it feels like some people are trying to create divisions instead of inclusion 
Just saying, let's not rush into things here.
. I mean, Andrea Thompson was robbed of her title, and it's not just about her, it's about all the other women who were affected by this mess. The fact that Jammie Booker lied about being a woman and competed anyway is just not right 
. And now they're saying trans athletes need genetic sex screening? I get where they're coming from, but can't we find a better way to deal with it than basically excluding people based on their body? It's like, what even is fair about that? 
