Andrea Thompson is now officially recognized as the strongest woman on earth after competition organizers stripped Jammie Booker, the initial winner of the title upon discovering Booker identifies as transgender and was ineligible for the women’s category under event rules.
Thompson had originally placed second by just a single point in the women’s open category, but was awarded first place following the investigation and disqualification.
Officials from the Official Strongman organization issued a statement outlining their policy that competitors are assigned categories based on biological sex as recorded at birth. The change in standings took place two days after the original contest, with Thompson’s victory widely covered in news and social media, while she herself expressed disappointment that her win was clouded by controversy and that many women were deprived of a fair opportunity.
The ruling has sparked significant debate and reactions within the strongwoman community and among advocates for women’s sports. Thompson’s supporters have celebrated both her achievement and the enforcement of eligibility criteria in the competition.
