Jamie Booker, the winner of the "World's Strongest Woman" competition, was stripped of her title after the Texas competition organizers claimed she had never informed them she was born a man.
Booker finished first in the official Strongman Games World Championships in Arlington, but the organizers later stated that Booker had violated the competition rules, which explicitly require competitors to compete in the category corresponding to their biological sex at birth.
The organizers declared their decision in a social media announcement, stating, "It appears that an athlete born male and who currently identifies as female competed in the women's category." They added, "Official Strongman management was not aware of this before the competition, and we have been investigating the case since we were informed.
"Had we known this, or had it been noted at any point before or during the competition, this athlete would not have been authorized to compete in the Open Women's category," the organizers stressed.
The move followed controversy surrounding the second-place finish. British competitor Andrea Thompson was documented leaving the podium angrily following the decision to award the title to Booker. Thompson was subsequently declared the winner, as many fans online had demanded from the beginning.
Booker, for her part, has yet to publicly comment on her disqualification. The organizers noted that attempts to contact her after the competition were unsuccessful.
