Female competitor crowned 'World's Strongest Woman' after transgender controversy overshadows event
The original winner of the 2025 World’s Strongest Woman competition in Arlington, Texas, was stripped of the title after allegations that the athlete is transgender came to light.
Andrea Thompson, the 2018 winner, stepped down from the podium at the event over the weekend after Jammie Booker won the title.
Thompson came in second place by just one point to Booker in the open women's category (no weight requirement). A YouTube video from what appears to be Booker's own channel, dating back to 2017, shows Booker claiming to be "trans."
Andrea Thompson finished second to an alleged transgender athlete at the 2025 World's Strongest Woman competition.
A video showed Thompson stepping off the podium appearing to say, "This is bulls---."
Thompson's coach, Laurence Shahlaei, told Fox News Digital that Booker "was just disappointed in herself for losing" and was unaware of Booker's alleged biological sex at the time.
According to Strongman Archives, Booker had not competed in women's events prior to this past June. It is unclear whether Booker had previously competed as a man.
After backlash over the previous 48 hours, Official Strongman announced that Booker would be "disqualified," admitting it was unaware of allegations that Booker was born male. The ruling now gives Thompson her second victory in the competition.
"Had we been aware, or had this been declared at any point before or during the competition, this athlete would not have been permitted to compete in the Woman’s Open category. We are clear - competitors can only compete in the category for the biological sex recorded at birth," Official Strongman said in an announcement Tuesday. "Official Strongman is inclusive and proud to run events which do not discriminate against athletes based on personal characteristics. 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."
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So the strongest woman in the world is a biological woman. As it should be.
Not shockingly the 6'5' biological male who competed as a "woman" won the competition. To their credit the tournament officials stripped the 6"5" male of the Title of World's Strongest Woman. The contest rules say you must compete as the sex that you were born as.