The 2025 World's Strongest Woman competition erupted in controversy this weekend when American competitor Jammie Booker secured victory over Britain's Andrea Thompson in Arlington, Texas, sparking widespread debate about transgender participation in women's sports.
Podium Protest Sparks Outrage
Video footage from the medal ceremony captured British strongwoman Andrea Thompson walking off the podium in apparent disgust, with witnesses reporting she uttered "this is bull****" as Booker celebrated her victory. The moment has since gone viral across social media platforms.
Thompson, a former world champion from Melton in Suffolk, has received overwhelming support from the strongwoman community, with many hailing her as the "true World's Strongest Woman" of 2025.
Lack of Transparency Alleged
Three-time champion Rebecca Roberts revealed that neither competitors nor organisers were aware of Booker's background before the event. "What happened this weekend wasn't transparent. None of us knew. Not even the organisers knew," Roberts stated in a lengthy Instagram post.
Evidence emerged from a 2017 YouTube video posted to an account appearing to belong to Booker, which included a description identifying as a "21-year-old trans woman... struggling to stay true to herself."
Sporting Community Reacts
The controversy has drawn responses from numerous high-profile figures in strength sports. Roberts posted an image reading "Protect Women's Sports" and argued that "transgender women should not be competing in the women's category."
Thompson's coach, Laurence Shahlaei, publicly congratulated his athlete, stating she had "absolutely dominated" several key events and emphasising that "sport is sport and the women's classes exist for a reason."
Mitchell Hooper, the 2023 World's Strongest Man, described Thompson's performance as "a champion's performance" and later released a YouTube video criticising the competition result. Hooper recalled his first impression of Booker, noting the American appeared "three to four inches taller, and probably 80lbs heavier than her closest competitor."
The incident has raised serious questions about governance, athlete classification and disclosure policies within strength sports, with many competitors calling for clearer regulations regarding transgender participation in women's categories.
