Southwest
Female competitor crowned ‘World’s Strongest Woman’ after transgender controversy overshadows event
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The original winner of the 2025 World’s Strongest Woman competition in Arlington, Texas, was stripped of the title after allegations that the athlete is transgender came to light.
Andrea Thompson, the 2018 winner, stepped down from the podium at the event over the weekend after Jammie Booker won the title.
Thompson came in second place by just one point to Booker in the open women’s category (no weight requirement). A YouTube video from what appears to be Booker’s own channel, dating back to 2017, shows Booker claiming to be “trans.”
Andrea Thompson (left) finished second to an alleged transgender athlete at the 2025 World’s Strongest Woman competition. (Laurence Shahlaei)
A video showed Thompson stepping off the podium appearing to say, “This is bulls—.”
Thompson’s coach, Laurence Shahlaei, told Fox News Digital that Booker “was just disappointed in herself for losing” and was unaware of Booker’s alleged biological sex at the time.
According to Strongman Archives, Booker had not competed in women’s events prior to this past June. It is unclear whether Booker had previously competed as a man.
After backlash over the previous 48 hours, Official Strongman announced that Booker would be “disqualified,” admitting it was unaware of allegations that Booker was born male. The ruling now gives Thompson her second victory in the competition.
“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. We are clear – competitors can only compete in the category for the biological sex recorded at birth,” Official Strongman said in an announcement Tuesday. “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.”
Thompson shared a post from her coach, Laurence Shahlaei, congratulating her on “winning” the event. Shahlaei made the post on Monday, one day after the event. Shahlaei told Fox News Digital just prior to Strongman’s announcement that he had been told Thompson would be crowned the champion and that an official announcement would be made.
“This win hasn’t come without controversy, but I want to make it very clear that while I support and applaud people for being who they want to be, sport is sport and the women’s classes exist for a reason,” Shahlaei wrote.
Jammie Booker is on record in having competed in just three Official Strongman events, winning two. (iStock)
TWO-TIME US OPEN CHAMPION BRYSON DECHAMBEAU CONTINUES FINE-TUNING EVERY EDGE OF HIS GAME
Thompson finished third in 2019 and second in 2022 at the same competition. She won the Masters World’s Strongest Woman event, reserved for women 40 years or older.
Booker has competed in three events this year, winning the first back in June and coming in second in the North America’s Strongest Woman. On Sept. 14, Booker began a GoFundMe for help get money to compete in the competition.
“After taking 1st in the Rainier Classic regional (and getting my pro card) and 2nd at the North America’s Strongest Woman competition, I have qualified for the next level of competition at the Official Strongman Games and I have a good chance of reaching the podium at this event as well,” Booker wrote.
“Now comes the difficult task of funding the trip. Registration fees are $285, the flight to Texas will be around $350, and the hotel fees for the 3 day competition and pre competition rules meeting will be $900. I simply cannot afford this on my shoestring planet fitness trainer budget. Winning this competition will open huge doors for my career both as an athlete and as a trainer.”
Strongman said it has attempted to reach out to Booker, “but a response has not been received.” On Monday, Booker posted a video to Instagram thanking numerous people for their assistance in what was originally a victory.
A stack of weights in the warm-up room at a weightlifting event. (Kevin Langley/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Booker’s TikTok biography reads that Booker, 28, is the “Worlds Strongest Lesbian.” In a post from January, Booker wrote, “no im not a man.”
Booker’s first post on Instagram is a photo posing at a Planet Fitness on July 31, 2022.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Read the full article from Here
Los Angeles, Ca
Early morning Montebello fire leaves resident critically injured
At least one person was critically injured in a house fire that erupted in Montebello early Thursday morning.
Crews responded to the blaze engulfing a detached unit in the 100 block of South 5th Street near West Whittier Boulevard around 5 a.m.
Flames quickly spread to a nearby electrical pole, blowing a fuse and knocking out power in the area. Sparks could be seen as a loud pop was heard in a Citizen.com video later obtained by KTLA.
At least one person was believed to be in critical condition due to burn injuries, though officials have not released further details.
There was no immediate word on a possible cause of the fire.
A neighbor told KTLA that three people lived inside the home, including a child.
This is a developing story.
Los Angeles, Ca
Deputies reveal what led to violent L.A. County bus crash that injured 13 people
Authorities revealed new details Wednesday afternoon about the violent Santa Clarita crash involving a city transit bus, an overturned semi truck and two other vehicles that left 13 people injured.
According to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, the driver of a semi truck hauling a full load of gravel may have been traveling as fast as 70 mph when the vehicle approached a yellow light at the intersection of Golden Valley Road and Centre Pointe Parkway around 9:30 a.m.
Investigators said the driver then attempted to make a right turn to avoid running the red light before crashing into the bus and two passenger vehicles.
“[The driver] tried to make a right-hand turn to avoid running the red light and then crashed into the bus and the other two passenger vehicles,” Capt. Brandon Barclay of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station told KTLA.
Officials noted that the speed limit on Golden Valley Road is 50 mph.
Sky5 aerial footage showed the heavily damaged Santa Clarita Transit bus pushed onto a curb while the semi truck overturned nearby, and another vehicle appeared pinned beneath the front right side of the bus.
“When you look at it, it looks like a scene from Universal CityWalk,” Barclay said.
Authorities said 13 people were injured in the crash.
One passenger seated in the back of the bus had to be freed using the Jaws of Life and remained hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday afternoon, KTLA’s Angeli Kakade reported.
Seven additional people were transported to hospitals while five others declined medical treatment at the scene.
“You have a bus that was hit by a semi truck, so it’s very impactful for this community,” Barclay added.
Former Santa Clarita transit bus driver Darryl Richardson said he was stunned when he saw the aftermath of the crash.
“I know how a person feels to see a big old truck coming right at you,” Richardson told KTLA. “Thank God if it had broadsided the driver, we’d be talking about a different conversation right now.”
The City of Santa Clarita said road closures around the crash scene were expected to continue for several hours as deputies investigated what led up to the collision.
All directions of Centre Pointe Parkway between Golden Valley Road and Ruether Avenue remained closed Wednesday afternoon. Eastbound Golden Valley Road was also shut down from Robert C. Lee Parkway to Centre Pointe Parkway.
Drivers were urged to avoid the area and use alternate routes.
The crash remains under investigation.
Los Angeles, Ca
Burglary reported in San Fernando Valley hours after officials announce arrests
Just hours after officials announced arrests connected to a string of residential burglaries, another one was reported in the San Fernando Valley.
According to a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson, the incident took place just before 1:45 a.m. Wednesday in the 5000 block of Bluebell Avenue, which is located in the Valley Village neighborhood.
The person who lives in the home was too shaken to appear on camera but told KTLA that three masked suspects broke in while she was inside and took off within minutes.
The LAPD spokesperson was unable to confirm that detail, or any other details, right away. It was unclear whether anything was taken from the home.
The alleged break-in came less than a day after L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and other officials announced arrests in a string of burglaries mainly plaguing the San Fernando Valley. At a press conference Tuesday, Mayor Karen Bass said there has been a 30% reduction year-to-date in property crimes and burglaries.
The LAPD says part of their strategy is to saturate areas, like the Valley, that have been targeted disproportionately, using visible officers and others “behind the scenes.”
“Burglaries in the city are down over 30%, reflecting the effectiveness of our proactive enforcement and prevention strategies,” LAPD Deputy Chief Gerald Woodyard said. “We are aware that the burglary crews are highly organized and sophisticated, and we are constantly adjusting our strategies to counteract their tactics.”
That said, the LAPD is down anywhere from 800 to 1,400 police officers. The mayor said she’s fighting to hire more and is using mental health professionals on calls which don’t require a police officer.
-
Science5 minutes agoHantavirus strikes a cruise ship, Californians at risk: Is this the start of something much worse?
-
Sports11 minutes ago
Lisa Leslie moved as she becomes the first Sparks star with statue outside Crytpo.com Arena
-
World23 minutes agoRussia’s prison population falls by 180,000 since start of Ukraine war
-
News53 minutes agoSuspect in murder of University of Washington student surrenders to police
-
New York2 hours agoFlag With Swastika and Star of David Flown on N.Y.U. Building, Police Say
-
Los Angeles, Ca2 hours agoEarly morning Montebello fire leaves resident critically injured
-
Detroit, MI3 hours agoWhat big announcement at DPSCD Hall of Fame Gala could mean for Detroit students
-
San Francisco, CA3 hours agoCasting shade on shadows: S.F. supervisor seeks to bar using shadows to block new housing





