“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,” the statement added.
“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, first crowned world’s strongest woman in 2018, said the manner she had won the title had taken the gloss off it, but praised Strongman for “investigating and rectifying the situation so quickly”.
“What should be a momentous occasion has sadly been overshadowed by scandal and dishonesty from someone who was welcomed into our crazy sport,” she said in a post on her Instagram, external account.
“I am not only frustrated with not being able to celebrate a win, but also for the ladies who had their time to shine on the podium or reach the final day, taken away from them.”
Thompson, from Suffolk, said she and fellow competitors were “mentally drained” having “received backlash and insults” since the decision, which “needs to stop”.
“This has been the most exhausting experience of my career,” she added.
“We, as a community are taking a stand. Protecting women’s sport as we have fought so hard for.”
Doriane Pin has been crowned F1 Academy champion in Las Vegas.
The 21-year-old Frenchwoman, who needed to finish the final race of the season in the top six to secure the title, came home in fifth
Dutchwoman Maya Weug, the only person who could beat Pin, was third.
The all-female series saw a dramatic final race weekend with Weug crashing during the formation lap in the first reverse-grid race, which Prema Racing’s Pin won to extend her championship lead to 20 points.
Weug, who is in the Ferrari Driver Academy, gained two places on Pin in the final race but needed to win to have a chance of taking the title.
Mercedes protege Pin finished the season with 151 points, with Weug nine behind.
This was the first time the F1 Academy raced in Las Vegas and F1 has recently extended its contract with the series for next season.
American Chloe Chambers converted her pole position to a race win in the second race of the weekend.
F1 Academy started in 2023 to provide a stepping stone into motorsport for women and to widen the appeal of the sport in an attempt to increase the pool of female drivers.
A PUB chain in the UK has been named the best for hotels in the UK – beating some very big names.
A new study conducted by Which? looked at both large and small hotel chains across the UK.
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Coaching Inn Group – who have 35 hotels across the UK – have been named the best by Which?Credit: AlamyThey have a number of beautiful historic hotels across England and WalesCredit: Alamy
The research – which spoke to 1,776 people – looked at eight categories such as customer service and cleanliness as well as breakfast, bed comfort and value for money.
And coming in first place was Coaching Inn Group, which scored 81 per cent.
While you may not have heard of the pub/hotel chain, there are 35 inn-style hotels in the UK.
Dating back to 1996, this includes ones such as The Kings Arms & Royal in Surrey, The Pheasant Hotel in Norfolk and The Swan Hotel in Somerset.
It was also the only hotel chain to be given the Which? Great Value badge, the first time for Wetherspoons.
With 50 hotels to choose from across the UK, rooms start from just £69 – most likely why it was given four stars for value for money.
Breakfast can be found for as little as £2.99 as well, with free tea and coffee refills.
Previous guests raved about it, calling it “clean, comfortable and good value”.
Other winners included Intercontinental, (80 per cent) and Hotel Indigo (79 per cent).
Sofitel followed suit with 78 per cent.
One of the beautiful hotels is The Swan Hotel in Wells, SomersetCredit: The Coaching InnWetherspoons also came in the top five for hotelsCredit: JD Wetherspoon
Premier Inn dropped in the survey with a score of 73 per cent, with one saying “prices are no longer budget level”.
Coming in last place once again was Britannia, which is often named the UK’s worst hotel chain (and the 12th year in a row for Which).
With a score of 44 per cent, it scored one star for bedroom quality.
The study also looked at small hotel chains, with the top going to both Andrew Brownsword and Brend Hotels, scoring 83 per cent.
THIS holiday home brings a new meaning to the phrase ‘beach break,’ as the property actually backs onto the sea.
The coastal retreat actually sits on the shingle beach, so you can bathe in the sun during the summer, or cosy on up with a cup of tea in the winter months.
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This holiday cottage opens out right onto the beach frontCredit: Sykes CottagesIt’s been awarded gold in Sykes Cottages ‘Gems Winners 2025’Credit: Sykes Cottages
Categories like ‘Best Farm Stay’ and ‘Best Newcomer’ were included, but the cottage called Bucket and Spades picked up ‘Best for Beaches’ – and Sophie revealed why it stood out to her.
She said: “When judging the Sykes Gems Awards, this property instantly stood out to me. Why? It’s its proximity to the beach. With bi-fold doors that open directly onto a pebble shore, but with your own private garden area, holidaymakers can benefit from a day at the seaside without needing to leave the home for the day.
“That’s a huge perk in my eyes. It reminds me a little of a beachside property in the Maldives that I once stayed in – I’d wake up and immediately plod into the open sea.”
The cottage literally sits on the beach at Pevensey Bay in pretty East Sussex and is set over three floors starting with the open plan lounge, kitchen diner, where you’ll find bifold doors that open onto the beach.
Outside, there’s a private beachside area with a table, parasol and stepping stones that lead out onto the wider beach.
There are two double bedrooms with ensuites and the king room which has a balcony where you can enjoy a morning coffee looking at the view.
Inside, the rooms have a coastal and calming feel filled with light tones of blue along with splashes of hot pink and orange.
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The cottage sleeps up to six guests, and there’s off-road parking for three cars – to bring along a pet dog costs an extra £40.
According to Sykes Cottages, if you book now, staying on Friday, November 7, 2025, for seven nights, you’ll be set back £1446 – but split between six guests, it’s £163.71pp, or £27.28pppn.
It even has a private beach area leading out to seaCredit: Sykes CottagesThe inside has nods to its coastal exterior with blue throws and rugsCredit: Sykes Cottages
It’s very popular too, one visitor wrote in a review: “If I owned this property I wouldn’t rent it out because I’d live there myself”.
They added: “The location is amazing, Pevensey Bay is a well kept secret. I don’t think I would ever get tired of staring out at the view.”
The cottage has a customer rating of 4.9 out of five stars and a top Sykes rating.
Pevensey Bay sits between Eastbourne and Hastings on the East Sussex coast and is an old fishing village.
It might look familiar to anyone who watched ITV‘s Flesh and Blood series in 2020 as it was used as a filming location along with the nearby town of Eastbourne.
The village is small but still has a local shop and places to eat like The Aqua Bar and Castle Inn.
One historical site nearby is Pevensey Castle built around AD290Credit: Alamy
When it comes to coastal adventures, guests can walk to reach Cooden Bay in one direction and Eastbourne Sovereign Harbour in the other.
Sovereign Harbour has The Waterfront’s bars, restaurants and cafés with views out to the marina.
Further inland is the village of Westham, which is home to the Castle Cottage Tearoom, and as the name suggests, it sits right next to Pevensey Castle.
Pick up a slice of homemade cake, or enjoy a traditional cream tea for £8.20, or opt for sandwiches or toasted paninis instead.
Other nearby spots include Beachy Head, which is where you’ll find Britain’s highest chalk cliff with incredible panoramic views out to sea.
