‘World’s Strongest Woman’ Winner Disqualified After Being Found to Be a Man
The past decade of debates surrounding transgender participation in sports has led to at least one clear development: many organizations are now re-examining policies to ensure fairness in competition.
On Tuesday, the Official Strongman Games announced on Instagram that Jammie Booker—who identifies as a woman—had been disqualified after initially winning first place at the 2025 World Championships in Arlington, Texas.
“It appears that an athlete who is biologically male and who now identifies as female competed in the Women’s Open category,” the organization said. They reiterated that competitors must participate in the categories aligned with their “biological sex recorded at birth.”
“We are disappointed on behalf of all those who fairly and legitimately took part that the attention has been taken away from their efforts, which deserve celebration no matter how they performed or where they finished,” the statement continued. “We stand with them and stand with fairness.”
As a result of the disqualification, the original runner-up, Andrea Thompson, is now recognized as the rightful winner.
A video posted Monday on X captured Thompson on the podium with her second-place trophy, appearing frustrated and quietly mouthing her disapproval while Booker stood on the top podium celebrating the initial result.
Booker had previously posted a YouTube video eight years ago describing a transgender identity, which left little ambiguity about eligibility under the event’s rules. While some political figures and activists continue to support broader inclusion policies, many athletic organizations have begun moving back toward regulations based strictly on biological sex in order to maintain competitive equity in women’s sports.
Never happens.
Andrea Thompson just had her title stolen by a man, Jammie Booker, who won 1st at the World’s Strongest Woman competition in Arlington, Texas.
“This is bulls&@$. Can we go?” pic.twitter.com/y8JakhMNQL
— XX-XY Athletics (@xx_xyathletics) November 25, 2025
Still, the image of Booker accepting the trophy before the disqualification, and the crowd’s applause that followed, serves as a reminder of how quickly fairness can become a point of contention when rules are not consistently applied.
The Strongman Games’ decision reflects a growing effort across sports to restore clarity and fairness as policies continue to evolve.
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