In a moment that has ignited fierce debate across the strength sports community, Jamie Booker, a transgender athlete who had just been crowned the 2025 World’s Strongest Woman, was dramatically stripped of the title hours after the competition ended.
The decision, announced abruptly by the World Strongest Woman Federation (WSWF), cited a last-minute review of eligibility rules and has been branded by supporters as “cruel injustice” and “heartless discrimination.”
The emotional scene unfolded late Sunday evening when Booker, still wearing the champion’s belt in the backstage area, was informed by two senior officials that the title and all associated prizes were being revoked because Booker, who was assigned male at birth, did not meet the federation’s newly clarified requirement of having lived as a woman from birth and never having gone through male puberty.
Booker collapsed to the floor in tears, covering his face with both hands while repeating, “This can’t be happening… this can’t be happening.” A video recorded by a member of Booker’s team quickly went viral, amassing over 40 million views in less than 24 hours and turning #JusticeForJamie into one of the top trending topics worldwide.
“I trained for years, I sacrificed everything, I won fairly on the platform, and now they’re taking it away because of who I am?” Booker said in a tear-streaked statement posted to Instagram shortly after the incident. “This isn’t about fairness in sport anymore; this is about erasing trans people.
I’m devastated, but I won’t let them erase my strength or my truth.” The post, accompanied by a photo of Booker holding the now-revoked trophy, has been shared more than 300,000 times and drew immediate support from high-profile figures in entertainment, politics, and sports.
The controversy erupted after Booker dominated the two-day World’s Strongest Woman competition in Manchester, England, breaking three event records and winning by a margin of 12 points—the largest in the event’s eight-year history.
Spectators described the 31-year-old Canadian’s performance as “superhuman,” with standout lifts including a 380 kg (837 lb) deadlift for five reps and a 170 kg (375 lb) overhead log press that left even seasoned commentators speechless.
At the medal ceremony, Booker was handed the championship sword and belt while the crowd of 8,000 chanted “Jamie! Jamie!” Few could have predicted the dramatic reversal that would follow just four hours later.
The WSWF released an official statement Monday morning explaining that a formal protest filed by three competitors triggered an emergency review of Booker’s eligibility.
According to the federation, although Booker had been cleared to compete under the rules in place when registration opened, a newly adopted policy—quietly ratified by the board three weeks earlier but not publicly announced until after the contest—required athletes in the women’s division to have been recognized as female at birth and never undergone male puberty.
“The board deeply regrets the timing and the distress caused to Ms. Booker,” the statement read. “However, the integrity of the female category must remain the paramount concern.”
Critics were quick to point out that Booker had competed in the same event without issue in 2023 and 2024, and that the sudden rule change appeared to target the athlete directly.
“They changed the rules after she won,” said Ava Morrison, the runner-up and one of the few competitors who publicly supported Booker. “That’s not sport; that’s cowardice.” Morrison, along with third-place finisher Rebecca Swanson, announced they would refuse their upgraded medals in solidarity.
The decision has reignited the global debate over transgender participation in women’s strength sports. Advocates for stricter biological criteria argue that athletes who have experienced male puberty retain significant advantages in bone density, muscle mass, and leverage, even after years of hormone therapy.
Opponents counter that blanket bans are discriminatory and that each sport should develop evidence-based policies rather than reacting to individual standout performances.
Booker, who began hormone replacement therapy in 2018 and legally changed gender markers in 2020, has been open about the physical toll transition took on performance. “I lost 25 kg of muscle in the first year alone,” Booker said in a 2024 interview.
“My testosterone is lower than most cis women’s. I earned every kilo I lifted this weekend.” Independent sports scientists have noted that while some advantages may persist, the gap narrows significantly after prolonged hormone suppression—a nuance often lost in heated public discourse.
As of Tuesday morning, more than 250,000 people have signed an online petition demanding the WSWF reverse its decision and issue a public apology. Major sponsors have begun distancing themselves from the federation, with at least two announcing they are reviewing their partnerships.
Meanwhile, counter-petitions supporting the ruling have also gained traction, particularly among parents of young female athletes who fear the future of women’s categories.
Through tears in a follow-up video posted Monday night, Booker addressed supporters directly: “This belt may have been taken from my waist, but no one can take the strength from my heart.
I will keep fighting—for myself, for every trans kid watching, for every woman who has ever been told she doesn’t belong.” The raw emotion in the six-minute clip has been called “heart-wrenching” and “impossible to watch without crying” by viewers around the world.
Whether Jamie Booker will ever reclaim the title remains uncertain. Legal experts suggest a discrimination lawsuit is likely, while some insiders whisper that certain board members are already pushing for a compromise that would create an open division rather than continue excluding trans athletes outright.
For now, the image of the strongest woman in the world sobbing on the arena floor has become the defining moment of the 2025 season—one that will be debated, dissected, and remembered for years to come.
As the strength community fractures along familiar lines, one thing is clear: Jamie Booker’s victory, however brief, has forced the entire sport to confront questions it can no longer avoid. And in the court of public opinion, many believe the real winner has already been decided.
