Strongest Woman runner up declared winner after transgender athlete disqualified

Britain’s Andrea Thompson has been declared the winner of this year’s World’s Strongest Woman contest after the original first place finisher, who it turns out was a biological male, was disqualified. 

American competitor Jammie Booker had taken first place at the Nov. 23 competition before allegations he was male surfaced. Two days later, Official Strongman, the governing organization, released a statement on Facebook announcing that Thompson was the rightful winner, according to the sport’s rules. 

“Official Strongman is inclusive and proud to run events which do not discriminate against athletes based on personal characteristics,” the statement said. “Any athlete is welcome. But it is our responsibility to ensure fairness and ensure athletes are assigned to men or women’s categories based on whether they are recorded as male or female at birth.” 

Thompson and Booker squared off alongside 400 other athletes from around 40 countries in Arlington, Texas, in the women’s open division of the Official Strongman competition, according to the BBC. 

“What should be a momentous occasion has sadly been overshadowed by scandal and dishonesty from someone who was welcomed into our crazy sport,” Thompson wrote on Instagram. “A sport which encourages women to celebrate themselves without being judged on how society says they should be.” 

Official Strongman was reportedly unaware of Booker’s biology before the competition. Evidence of Booker’s gender came to light from a 2017 YouTube video from his personal account where he publicly identified as transgender, as reported by Fox News. 

The New York Post reports that images from Booker’s past pornographic career also played a part in the discovery of his true identity.

Thompson lamented how Booker’s participation took away opportunities from other competitors to advance. 

“I am not only frustrated with not being able to celebrate a win, but also for the ladies who had their time to shine on the podium or reach the final day, taken away from them,” she said.  

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will be investigating the scandal regarding the competition in order to strengthen Texas’ protection of women in women’s sports, his office said in a statement. 

“Attorney General Paxton will not allow the radical left to sacrifice the integrity of girls’ sports on the altar of their delusional transgender agenda,” the statement reads. “The OAG is investigating this incident and will take any and all actions to protect women’s sports both in Texas and across the nation.”