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A British competitor honored as the world's strongest woman says she was deprived of her winning moment after it emerged the original champion was a trans female who was not qualified to compete.

The British strongwoman was awarded the championship after the fact after US competitor Jammie Booker was removed from competition.

Thompson explained to sports media the event, held in the Texas city of Arlington, was clouded by an individual who wasn't eligible to participate.

"I was extremely disappointed and angry with her actions," she said. "She lied and was quite deceptive, and took away a lot of things from a lot of female athletes.

"The lady that came 11th was denied the opportunity to do the final day... to have the elite ranking in the world."

Organisers, the strongman organization, said "participants could only participate in the division for their biological sex recorded at birth", and that they had eliminated the competitor in question "who is biologically male."

Competition Background

Documentation show the disqualified athlete took part in at least several additional strongwoman competitions this season - taking first place at the Washington competition in summer and placing runner-up at the continental championship in July.

Sports media were unable to reach the athlete and event officials said "efforts had been made to get in touch with the athlete... but a response had not been received."

The champion, 43, eventually became the world's strongest woman for the second time, having previously won the title in 2018.

But it was only following this year's event finished that she learned her opponent had been ineligible to compete.

"There existed no indication at all during the competition - no-one had any cause to suspect any issues," said the mother of two from East Anglia.

"It was about six hours after that the initial speculation started circulating, and then the organisers contacted me.

"It represents a massive accomplishment that's been marred by some dishonesty."

Competition Details

Strength contests have no single governing body, rather, independent groups organize a variety of competitions.

The Global Female Strength championship is presented at the Official Strongman Games, organized by a British company.

More than four hundred athletes from approximately 40 countries participated in this year's event, which coordinators describe as "among the highest points of the strength world."

The Games featured contests across multiple sex, weight and age categories.

The British athlete and the American competitor were in the Women's Open division and competed in half-dozen events over three days, including the overhead press, timber frame carry and deadlift ladder.

Regulations and Eligibility

An announcement from event officials stated: "Competitors are placed to male or female categories based on whether they are recorded as male or female at birth.

"Evidence suggests that an athlete who is male by birth and who currently self-identifies as female participated in the Women's Open division... organizers were not informed of this fact ahead of the competition."

In twenty twenty-three, the state enacted a law banning "biological men from competing against female athletes", although this only applies to college and university sport in the region.

The champion believes female strength events may introduce gender verification in the coming years.

"I suppose it's going to have to proceed along that path... but our discipline is still relatively recent. There's insufficient money in it to have these procedures in operation. We depend on the integrity of the competitors."

Broader Athletic Landscape

In recent years, a growing number of athletic organizations have barred athletes who have experienced male puberty from participating in elite women's events, amid concerns over fairness and safety, including international swimming and track and field bodies.

In spring, prominent British athletic organizations were among a number of institutions to follow suit, after the Britain's highest court's ruling that the official classification of a woman is based on birth sex.

The decisions have been opposed by trans rights campaigners, who argue they could violate individual freedoms and maintain participation should be prioritised.

Both global track and field and pugilism bodies implemented genetic sex screening this year, claiming it is necessary to safeguard the fairness of female sports.

A representative from international athletics has stated that between fifty to sixty athletes who experienced puberty as males have been top placers in the women's division in international and regional track and field championships since the year two thousand.