American strength athlete Jammie Booker has been stripped of the 2025 World’s Strongest Woman title after organisers ruled she was ineligible to compete in the women’s division because she was born male. The decision, announced shortly after the conclusion of the Official Strongman Games World Championship in Arlington, Texas, reverses one of the sport’s biggest results of the year and has ignited debate across the strength-sport community.
Booker had originally been declared the winner of the Women’s Open category following the multi-day competition, which draws elite athletes from around the world. The victory was widely celebrated among spectators and fellow competitors until officials said they were alerted to information showing Booker was assigned male at birth. According to organisers, that information had not been disclosed before or during the credentialing process. They said that if it had been known at the time, Booker would not have been permitted to enter the female category under existing eligibility rules.
Following a review, officials disqualified Booker and reassigned the placements. Britain’s Andrea Thompson, who had finished second, was named the official 2025 World’s Strongest Woman champion. Australia’s Allira-Joy Cowley was elevated from third to second place, and the remainder of the rankings were adjusted accordingly. In a statement provided after the reversal, organisers said the change was necessary to preserve fairness in the women’s division, emphasising that the sport’s current rules require athletes to compete based on their sex recorded at birth.
Competitors at the event expressed frustration, with several saying they felt the integrity of the contest had been compromised. One long-time strongwoman, speaking publicly after the decision, said the field had “trained for years to stand on that stage” and that the last-minute disqualification underscored problems with the event’s verification procedures. Others noted that the controversy had overshadowed what should have been a landmark competition for the athletes involved.
Thompson, now confirmed as champion, said the days following the event had been draining and that the unexpected controversy had taken attention away from the performances of the women who competed. She added that she hoped future championships would include more robust eligibility checks to avoid similar situations.
Booker has not commented publicly on the disqualification. Organisers said attempts to contact her after the ruling were unsuccessful. No details have been released about how or when officials learned the information that prompted the review, nor have they specified whether Booker is expected to face any further sanctions beyond losing the title and placement.
The incident has reignited broader discussions within strength sports about transgender participation and the criteria used to determine eligibility for female categories. While policies vary across organisations, many have faced scrutiny from athletes and sporting bodies who argue for clearer and more uniform regulations to prevent disputes of this nature. Supporters of strict birth-based classifications argue that physical advantages must be accounted for to maintain fairness, while others call for updated frameworks that balance inclusion with competitive integrity.
The reversal marks one of the most high-profile disqualifications ever issued in a major strongwoman competition. The Official Strongman Games, the body behind the World’s Strongest Woman title, is considered a leading authority in the sport, and its decisions carry significant weight for athletes’ careers, sponsorships and future invitations.
As the discussion continues, the focus now shifts to how governing bodies will respond ahead of next year’s contests. Many within the sport have urged regulators to clarify procedures to ensure that eligibility questions are resolved before competitions begin, not after winners have been crowned. For athletes like Thompson and Cowley, the updated results secure their positions in the record books — but the controversy has cast a long shadow over what is typically a showcase of athletic achievement.
Booker, once celebrated as a breakthrough figure at the event, now finds her future in the sport uncertain. Organisers say they are reviewing internal policies, but for now the 2025 World’s Strongest Woman title will remain with Thompson, whose elevation to champion came under circumstances neither she nor her fellow competitors anticipated.