OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
1:38 PM – Tuesday, November 25, 2025
The Official Strongman Games World Championship has disqualified 28-year-old Philadelphia-based athlete Jammie Booker, stripping Booker of the “Women’s Open title” he won over the weekend, after organizers discovered he is a biological male.
Booker won the two-day competition in Arlington, Texas, despite only finishing one point ahead of British strongwoman Andrea Thompson, to claim what was initially celebrated as the “World’s Strongest Woman” crown. However, the victory quickly ignited controversy when female competitors and spectators raised questions about Booker’s gender eligibility under the event’s rules.
Despite finishing just one point behind Booker — and initially placing second to the transgender athlete — the UK’s Thompson stands at 5’5″ and weighs around 265 pounds, while Jammie Booker is 6’5″ and 400 pounds.
English broadcaster Piers Morgan, who previously hosted a talk show on CNN, was one notable public figure who commented on the results of the competition.
“Many congratulations to Jammie Booker, who has won the World’s Strongest Woman competition in Arlington, Texas. The fact Jammie is a biological male with a massive physical advantage over the actual women competing shouldn’t detract from this well-earned victory!” Morgan sarcastically posted on X.
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On Tuesday, Official Strongman Games issued a statement confirming the disqualification:
“It appears that an athlete who is biologically male and who now identifies as female competed in the Women’s Open category,” organizers said in a social media statement announcing the decision. “Official Strongman officials were unaware of this fact ahead of the competition and we have been urgently investigating since being informed.”
“Had we been aware, or had this been declared at any point before or during the competition, this athlete would not have been permitted to compete in the Woman’s Open category,” they added.
The Official Strongman Games maintains a clear policy: athletes must compete in the division that matches their biological sex. Unlike many sports that require hormone testing or formal gender verification, Strongman Games events have traditionally operated on self-declaration.
Following this incident, in which the athlete knowingly lied about their biological sex to gain entry into the women’s category, organizers have announced they will overhaul the process to prevent future violations.
Videos from Sunday’s awards ceremony, now viewed millions of times online, showed runner-up Andrea Thompson visibly upset that Booker was announced the winner, taking the opportunity away from women like her who worked hard to get there. Thompson could even be seen mouthing “This is bullsh*t” before walking off the podium — a moment that quickly went viral and intensified scrutiny over the result.
Three-time World’s Strongest Woman Rebecca Roberts was among the first athletes to speak out.
“Transgender women, people born male, should not be competing in the women’s category,” she declared in a statement prior to Booker being stripped of the title. “What happened this weekend wasn’t transparent. None of us knew. Not even the organizers knew. And when fairness is taken by surprise, trust in the sport begins to crack.”
“My message is simple. Trans people belong in sport, but women’s divisions must remain biologically born female-only,” she added.
Following the disqualification, Thompson has since been declared the official 2025 Women’s Open champion. Booker has been removed from all official results and prize listings.
Appearing to cave to furious LGBTQ activists who condemned the disqualification, event organizers emphasized that the decision was not intended to exclude transgender-identifying athletes entirely.
“We are clear – competitors can only compete in the category for the biological sex recorded at birth,” organizers said. “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.”
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