The world of strength sports has been rocked by controversy following a transgender athlete's victory in the World's Strongest Woman competition, prompting the 2023 World's Strongest Man to make an extraordinary protest threat.
Champion's Extraordinary Protest Threat
Mitchell Hooper, the 30-year-old Canadian who won the prestigious World's Strongest Man title in 2023, has vowed to enter the women's contest next year if officials don't ban transgender athletes from competing against biological women. The champion strongman told the Daily Mail he was outraged when transgender competitor Jammie Booker claimed victory over biological women at last week's competition in Arlington, Texas.
"If the situation isn't rectified I will compete in World's Strongest Woman next year - 100%," Hooper declared. While he doesn't anticipate having to follow through on his threat, the Canadian athlete stated he's fully prepared to do so if organizers fail to take action.
The Controversial Victory That Shook Strength Sports
The competition has faced intense scrutiny since Booker's win, with footage showing runner-up Andrea Thompson appearing to say "this is bulls***" during the podium ceremony. The result sparked widespread debate across social media platforms, with many arguing that Booker possesses an unfair physical advantage.
Hooper, who attended the event in person, expressed sympathy for Thompson. "If I was her, I would've been very loud about my complaints," he said. The champion strongman stands at 6ft 3inches and weighs over 330lbs, yet noted that when he first saw Booker, he thought it was "so cool" to see a female athlete "even bigger than me" until he realized she is transgender.
Fallout and Industry Reaction
The controversy has extended beyond the competition itself. Fitness brand Iron Ape dropped Booker as a sponsored athlete despite her victory, stating in a Facebook post that they had "reason to believe (she) misrepresented critical information" about her gender identity before the contest.
Iron Ape owner Colton Cross emphasized that "this is not a matter of Jammie's gender identity," but rather about fairness in competition, noting that Booker holds an "unfair advantage over other competitors" in the women's division.
Rebecca Roberts, a three-time World's Strongest Woman winner, claimed that neither competitors nor organizers knew about Booker's background beforehand. In an Instagram post supporting women's sports, Roberts wrote: "I hold no hate toward transgender people... But I cannot stay silent about something that threatens the fairness and future of women's strength sports."
Thompson's coach, Laurence Shahlaei, also voiced opposition to the official results, congratulating his athlete as "the true Worlds Strongest Woman 2025" while stating that "women's classes exist for a reason."
The Broader Debate Over Fairness
Hooper elaborated on his position, stating: "You can't be both for women in sport and for transgender women in women's sport. There should be a ban on transgender women competing in all women's sports, but the advantage they have is especially clear in strength sports."
The champion noted that he has "met several NFL players with smaller frames than Jammie," highlighting what he sees as an "obvious physical advantage." When asked how organizers could determine an athlete's gender, Hooper suggested implementing a system similar to drug testing protocols used in elite sports.
Hooper also took to his YouTube channel, which boasts half a million subscribers, to share his thoughts on the controversy. He recalled initially not realizing Booker was transgender when she dominated the event, noting her significant size advantage over other competitors.
Despite his strong stance, Hooper expressed some sympathy for Booker, noting: "The backlash shouldn't necessarily be on Booker, this is only her third ever competition and she may not have known she did anything wrong - but the situation has to be rectified going forward."
The debate continues as the strength sports community grapples with balancing inclusion and competitive fairness, with many calling for clearer policies regarding transgender participation in women's categories.
