Transgender athlete Jammie Booker, who was initially crowned champion in the women’s heavyweight division of the World’s Strongest Woman contest, was later disqualified after his biological sex was revealed. Competitors Hailey Sikman and Jade Dickens were unaware of Booker’s identity until after the event, which sparked a heated debate about inclusivity and fairness in sports. The controversy emerged when officials revised the results to award the title to Andrea Thompson after discovering Booker’s true identity.
Booker had won the women’s heavyweight division by defeating female competitor Andrea Thompson by one point, but the victory was short-lived. Once Booker’s biological sex was confirmed, the organizing body, Official Strongman, issued a statement disqualifying him and awarding Thompson the title. The decision sparked outrage among female athletes, with Sikman and Dickens expressing their frustration at the lack of transparency and the potential violation of fair competition rules.
Both athletes admitted they had no prior knowledge of Booker’s identity, with Dickens stating that the organization would have removed him from the competition had they been aware of his true sex from the start. She emphasized that the situation was a violation of the trust and integrity of the competition, as it allowed a male athlete to participate under the guise of a female competitor.
Despite the controversy, Booker continued to express gratitude in a subsequent Instagram post, thanking everyone for their support. His past claims of being transgender, which were highlighted in a YouTube video from 2017, have since been brought to light. However, the organizing body has yet to confirm whether he had previously competed in men’s events, raising questions about his eligibility under the current rules.
With calls for more rigorous vetting processes in women’s sports, Sikman and Dickens have emphasized the need for genetic testing or other forms of verification to prevent similar incidents in the future. The incident has reignited the debate on the intersection of gender identity and competitive sports, highlighting the broader implications of inclusivity and fairness in athletic competitions.