Jammie Booker was disqualified from the global female strength competition
An English competitor honored as the world's strongest woman says she was robbed of her winning moment after it was revealed the initial winner was a transgender woman who was not qualified to compete.
The British strongwoman was granted the championship retrospectively after US competitor Jammie Booker was disqualified.
Thompson explained to athletic press the event, held in Arlington, Texas, was clouded by an individual who wasn't eligible to participate.
"I was very disappointed and upset with what she's done," she said. "She lied and was quite deceptive, and deprived a lot of opportunities from a lot of women.
"The lady that came 11th didn't get the chance to do the final day... to achieve the elite ranking in the world."
Organisers, the strongman organization, said "participants could only compete in the category for their birth sex recorded at birth", and that they had disqualified the athlete in dispute "who was biologically male."
Event Background
Records show Booker participated in at least two other female strength events this season - winning the Rainier Classic in summer and finishing second at North America's Strongest Woman in mid-summer.
Sports media could not contact Booker and event officials confirmed "efforts had been made to get in touch with the athlete... but a reply had not been obtained."
Thompson had initially finished second to the US competitor
Thompson, 43, eventually was declared the global female strength champion for the second occasion, having previously won the title in two thousand eighteen.
But it was only following this season's competition concluded that she discovered her rival had been ineligible to compete.
"There existed nothing at all during the event - nobody had any cause to suspect anything," said the parent from Suffolk.
"It was about six hours after that the first rumours started going round, and then the organisers contacted me.
"It represents a massive accomplishment that's been marred by some deception."
Competition Particulars
Strength contests have no single governing body, rather, independent groups run a range of events.
The World's Strongest Woman title is presented at the International Strength Competition, run by a UK-registered organization.
Over 400 athletes from approximately 40 nations participated in this season's event, which coordinators characterize as "among the highest points of the strength world."
The Games featured events across various gender, weight and years categories.
The British athlete and Booker were in the Female Open category and competed in half-dozen events over three days, including the overhead press, timber frame carry and deadlift ladder.
Rules and Eligibility
An announcement from event officials stated: "Competitors are assigned to men's or women's categories based on whether they are registered as male or woman at birth.
"It appears that an competitor who is biologically male and who now identifies as female competed in the Female Open division... organizers were unaware of this situation prior to the event."
In twenty twenty-three, the state introduced a regulation prohibiting "biological men from competing against female athletes", although this is limited to higher education athletics in the state.
Thompson thinks female strength events may implement gender verification in the coming years.
"I guess it's going to have to go down that path... but our sport is still relatively recent. There's insufficient funding in it to have these procedures in operation. We rely on the honesty of the competitors."
Broader Athletic Landscape
In recent years, a increasing quantity of athletic organizations have barred athletes who have experienced puberty as males from competing in top-level female competition, amid apprehensions over fairness and safety, including international swimming and athletics bodies.
In May, prominent British athletic organizations were among a number of associations to follow suit, after the Britain's highest court's decision that the official classification of a woman is based on biological sex.
The decisions have been opposed by transgender advocacy activists, who argue they could violate human rights and maintain inclusion should be emphasized.
Both global track and field and pugilism organizations implemented genetic sex screening this year, claiming it is needed to protect the fairness of women's competition.
A representative from the global track organization has stated that between fifty to sixty athletes who went through male puberty have been top placers in the women's division in international and regional athletics competitions since the year two thousand.
