Strongest Woman Crown Revoked After Gender Controversy

At the 2025 Official Strongman Games World Championship in Arlington, Texas, Jammie Booker was initially crowned “World’s Strongest Woman” after beating a field of top female lifters.

But less than 24 hours later, organizers announced a dramatic reversal: Booker was stripped of her title. The reason? Video footage surfaced allegedly showing that Booker was born biologically male — a breach of the competition’s eligibility rules for the Women’s Open category.

From Strongest Woman Glory to Controversy: The Aftermath

Officials said they had been unaware of Booker’s birth-assigned sex prior to the competition. Once the explicit videos circulated on an adult entertainment website, the revelation triggered an immediate investigation and disqualification.

The fallout was swift and intense. The original runner-up, Andrea Thompson, was upgraded to champion — but the moment was anything but celebratory. As the controversy exploded, she reportedly stormed off the podium in visible frustration, mouthing “This is bulls-t” while holding her second-place trophy.

The reshuffling didn’t just affect first and second place — it caused a cascade of changes in the final rankings, altering positions down the line. What should have been a celebration of strength and competition turned into a heated debate about fairness, transparency, and identity in sport.

What the Rules Say — And What Went Wrong

The rulebook for the event — as stated by organizers — requires athletes to compete in the category matching their biological sex at birth. According to the post-competition statement, had Booker’s biological sex been disclosed beforehand, he would never have been allowed to compete in the Women’s Open division.

The organizers emphasized that their policy is meant to ensure fairness — particularly in strength-based sports where biological differences in physiology can matter.

Bigger Debate: Inclusion vs. Fair Play

The incident reopened a broader — and deeply divisive — debate in strength and elite sports: how to balance inclusion of transgender or gender-diverse athletes while maintaining competitive fairness. For many in the strongwoman community, the event felt like a breach of trust: athletes expected clear, consistent rules around eligibility.

Some previous competitors and coaches voiced concern, arguing that biological advantages should not be ignored in competitive categories defined by sex at birth. Others stressed compassion and dignity — but underlined that transparency must come first in organized competition.

What’s Next — And What Athletes Say

In the wake of the scandal, the organizers pledged to tighten their verification process to avoid any repeat of the incident. The sport’s community has been shaken — some express disappointment, others anger. For those who competed fairly, the moment felt like a betrayal; for the newly crowned champion, the victory came under a cloud of controversy.

As for Booker, there has been no public comment since the disqualification announcement, and attempts to reach the athlete reportedly failed.

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