Jammie Booker, who was crowned the World’s Strongest Woman at the Official Strongman Games World Championships in Arlington, Texas, on November 23, has been stripped of her title. Booker’s victory, which surpassed former champion Andrea Thompson of Great Britain, was followed by a statement from Strongman Corporation that Booker had violated the event's policy regarding trans athletes. The policy requires athletes to compete in categories based on their biological sex recorded at birth, leading to Booker’s disqualification.
While Booker has never publicly clarified whether she is a transgender or cisgender woman, her Instagram bio identifies her as a personal trainer and professional strongwoman.
Despite this, her win was overshadowed by controversy. A clip showing Thompson’s frustrated reaction to Booker’s win went viral, where Thompson can be seen exclaiming, “this is bull***t. Can we go?” before leaving the podium.
Disqualification and the policy dispute
On November 27, Strongman Corporation announced that Booker would no longer hold the title due to the violation of its policy. The statement explained that Booker, described as “biologically male,” had competed in the Women’s Open category, which led to her disqualification. As a result, Thompson was awarded the World’s Strongest Woman title.
The organisers of the event emphasized that the competition prides itself on being inclusive, but the policy is in place to maintain fairness. They clarified, “Official Strongman is inclusive and proud to run events which do not discriminate against athletes based on personal characteristics. Any athlete is welcome. But it is our responsibility to ensure fairness and ensure athletes are assigned to men or women’s categories based on whether they are recorded as male or female at birth.”
Scientific perspectives on trans women in sports
The debate surrounding trans women’s participation in sports has been ongoing, with various studies offering differing perspectives on the issue.
One study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2024, found that after at least one year of hormone therapy, trans women’s hand grip strength was higher than that of cis women but lower than that of cis men. Hand grip strength, often used as an indicator of overall muscle strength, could have implications for how trans women perform in strength-based competitions.
Joanna Harper, a medical physicist at Loughborough University, highlighted the effects of hormone therapy on trans women, stating, “After going through hormone therapy, trans women are now moving their bodies with reduced aerobic capacity, reduced muscle mass.” These changes, according to Harper, can result in disadvantages in speed, recovery, and endurance.
Despite this, many reports, including one from the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, have suggested that trans women do not have significant advantages over cisgender women in elite competitions, assuming the rules are followed appropriately. However, the issue remains contentious and continues to spark debates about fairness and inclusion in sports.