How Jammie Booker Won the World’s Strongest Woman Title
At the 2025 Official Strongman Games World Championship in Arlington, Texas, Jammie Booker of Philadelphia walked away with the World’s Strongest Woman title, edging out England’s Andrea Thompson by exactly one point. One point. That’s it.
Booker competed that weekend, stood on the podium Sunday, and accepted the championship in front of everyone. Officials celebrated her. Thompson finished second.
Booker was described as an imposing American competitor, and honestly, the performance backed that up. Nobody questioned anything. The title was hers, the ceremony happened, and the crowd went home thinking the results were settled.
They weren’t. Three-time champion Rebecca Roberts had already gone on record saying no one knew, including the organizers themselves, and that trust began to crack the moment fairness was taken by surprise. Thompson herself made her feelings clear in the moment, walking off the podium while appearing to say “this is bulls*” to those around her. Many long-term competitions rely on accurate perception of outcomes to preserve trust among athletes and fans.
What the Official Strongman Games Rules Say About Biological Sex
The rule itself isn’t complicated. Official Strongman Games requires athletes to compete in the category matching their biological sex recorded at birth. Not current gender identity. Not personal preference. Birth sex. That’s the line.
Men’s category, women’s category—you land where your birth certificate puts you. No exceptions, no workarounds. The organization frames it as a fairness issue, keeping competition integrity intact across both divisions.
Every competitor, regardless of personal background, is welcome to participate. But welcome doesn’t mean unrestricted. You can enter any event you want, as long as you’re eligible for it. Simple policy. Real consequences. Jammie Booker’s disqualification confirmed exactly how seriously the organization enforces that policy when eligibility is called into question.
The competition itself drew more than 400 athletes from nearly 40 countries, making the integrity of its results all the more significant on a global scale. This strict eligibility approach reflects concerns about competitive fairness that often drive such policies.
How Organizers Discovered Booker Was Ineligible and Stripped the Title
Shortly after Booker walked away with the title in Arlington, Texas, explicit photos and videos started circulating online—allegedly showing the new Women’s Open champion was a transgender porn star.
- 3 a.m. Monday — competitors received the images directly from an adult entertainment website
- Officials scrambled — launching an urgent investigation into Booker’s undisclosed background
- Confirmation hit hard — Booker is biologically male, born that way, never disclosed it during registration
- Tuesday’s announcement — the title was officially revoked, Andrea Thompson crowned World’s Strongest Woman 2025
No warning. No appeal mentioned. Just gone. Contest rules required all athletes to compete according to biological sex at birth, leaving organizers no choice but to act once the truth was confirmed. Allira-Joy Cowley, originally placed third, was promoted to second place following the disqualification decision. Many athletes and fans have since discussed the importance of rebuilding support networks during the backlash and emotional fallout.
What Andrea Thompson Said About Being Cheated Out of Her Win
Once the title was officially handed to Andrea Thompson, the reaction most people expected was relief—maybe even celebration. That’s not what happened.
When the title finally went to Andrea Thompson, no one got the celebration they were expecting.
The 43-year-old Brit called the whole experience “the most exhausting” of her career. She said she felt cheated, robbed of a moment she never got to actually enjoy. She emphasized that contestants must be vetted to prevent ineligible participants from taking opportunities meant for others, highlighting the importance of identity verification in such competitions.
Thompson didn’t sugarcoat it either—she called Booker “deceitful and dishonest,” and said the entire Arlington event felt tainted.
Her frustration wasn’t just personal. She pointed out that other women lost real opportunities because someone ineligible took up space they had no right to occupy. Thompson also revealed she first learned about Booker’s biological sex not from officials, but through an x-rated website.
How This Case Is Changing Gender Disclosure Rules in Strongman
Before Jammie Booker ever stepped onto the competition floor in Arlington, nobody checked. That’s the problem. Officials didn’t know until after the medals were handed out. Now, Official Strongman is tightening everything.
Here’s what’s changing:
- Birth certificates are now mandatory — female competitors must show one proving female sex at birth.
- Passport documentation must match declared gender identity.
- Testosterone levels must stay at or below 2.4 nmol/L for twelve consecutive months minimum.
- Pre-competition disclosure is now required — no more competing first, explaining later.
Andrea Thompson’s retroactive title forced everyone’s hand. Good.
Booker had already competed without incident earlier in the year, including a first-place finish at a regional meet in Washington State in June and a second-place finish at North Americas Strongest Woman in Quebec in July. A number of sporting bodies are increasingly adopting pre-competition disclosure policies to avoid retroactive rulings.
