Thompson

A British athlete crowned the world’s strongest woman says she was “robbed” of her winning moment after it emerged the original champion was a transgender woman who was ineligible to compete.

Andrea Thompson was awarded the title retrospectively after American athlete Jammie Booker was disqualified.

Thompson told BBC Sport the competition, held in Arlington, Texas, was “overshadowed by somebody who shouldn’t have been there”.

“I was very frustrated and angry with what she’s done,” she said. “She lied and was very dishonest, and took away a lot of things from a lot of women.

“The lady that came 11th didn’t get the chance to do the third day… to have the top 10 status in the world.”

Organisers, Official Strongman, said “competitors could only compete in the category for their biological sex recorded at birth”, and that they had disqualified the athlete in question “who is biologically male”.

“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.”

LOUISE Thompson has revealed she will never be able to carry another child due to severe health issues following the birth of her son Leo.

The Made In Chelsea star, 35, came close to dying after going into labour with her son four years ago.

The harrowing ordeal led to a myriad of health issues, the most recent of which saw Louise bravely reveal she had a stoma.

Following Leo’s birth she suffered multiple injuries including a post-natal haemorrhage, developing Asherman’s Syndrome, in which scar tissue in the uterus becomes ‘glued’ together, worsening bowel problems and emergency surgery.

Her injuries mean that she cannot carry another child.

Louise also has post-traumatic stress as a result of the horrific complications she endured and now relies on a stoma bag.

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She believes women are being deterred having children due to a growing number of horror stories.

She told Daily Mail: “It’s something that a lot of people within my circle are talking about fairly regularly – the population problems we have.

“Thousands of women are crying out to me about this topic.

“Speaking on my own personal experience, I won’t be able to carry another child.

“So immediately that puts us in a position where we are part of that problem now.”

She is now an advocate for women’s health and maternity rights, and has spoken about her ordeal to the Birth Trauma All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG).

Louise teamed up with former Conservative MP Theo Clarke to set up the APPG and is now launching a petition urging the Government to appoint a commissioner dedicated to overseeing maternity care.

Their goal is to reach the 100,000 signatures needed to trigger a Parliamentary debate.

Louise has spoken about her distressing birth experience in the past.

The former reality star lost three-and-a-half litres of blood following the arrival of her son Leo by emergency C-section.

Things got even worse when Louise eventually returned home and suffered another haemorrhage, during which she lost five litres of blood and woke up in intensive care.

She previously spoke about the “uncertainty” around having another child.

She said last year on Lorraine: “It’s still fairly inconclusive. I will never mentally be strong enough to carry a child and, physically, I have something called asherman syndrome where my uterus is glued together with scar tissue.

“I suppose in one sense, it’s a bit of a miracle that I didn’t have to have a hysterectomy, so I do still have a womb.

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“I had a year with no periods, then I had a surgery to try and fix that and then that ended up in another haemorrhage so where I am left currently is that the hospital have sort of said ‘It would be too threatening.

“We wouldn’t want to do another surgery in that area. Let’s let you live’. Equally I am so grateful to have one beautiful, healthy child who has lots of friends and cousins. I do have ovaries and embryos so there is a chance I could freeze some eggs… when I am ready…”

Klay Thompson didn’t hold back after a former NBA player used a graphic term in reference to the Dallas Mavericks star’s girlfriend, rapper Megan Thee Stallion, on a podcast this week.

Former NBA champion Jason Williams was discussing Thompson’s shooting struggles this season with his “Hoopin’ N Hollerin’” co-hosts, fellow ex-NBA player Patrick Beverley and Barstool Sports personality Rone.

Thompson, who won four NBA titles with the Golden State Warriors, is 35 and playing in his 13th NBA season, not counting the two-plus seasons he missed from 2019-2021 while recovering from tears to the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and his right Achilles tendon.

Nonetheless, Thompson’s relationship with the Grammy-winning hip-hop star was mentioned as a possible explanation for his career-low statistics (8.5 points per game, 32% shooting) after 11 games this season. The couple went public with their relationship during the offseason, and the “Not My Fault” singer has been seen in attendance at multiple Mavericks games since then.

Williams used an extremely explicit term for a female body part to make his point.

“I’m from West Virginia, man. I’ve been taught a lot by some old folks, old white folks. They say p—’s powerful,” Williams said. “They say it’s so powerful … it only takes one … to drag a battleship across a desert, that’s how powerful it is.

“Klay Thompson — I ain’t saying that’s what it is, but that might be what it is. That ain’t taking nothing away from Megan Thee Stallion. She might be a great girl, great for him. But I don’t know if she’s great for the shot.”

A video clip of the discussion — that added a graphic that featured a photo of Thompson and Megan Thee Stallion together and the caption “What’s going on with Klay Thompson?” — was posted to the podcast’s Instagram account. Thompson called out the show’s hosts in the post’s comment section.

“Referring to my GF as a ‘p—’ is so disgusting and disturbing,” Thompson wrote. “Especially from someone who played in the NBA . How would yall feel if I referred to your wives in such a way ? …

“Do better fellas. Very disappointing”

EMMA Thompson has reunited with a Love Actually and Nanny McPhee co-star for a new show 22 years after the iconic Christmas film’s release.

The heavyweight actors play married private investigators in new Apple TV+ thriller Down Cemetery Road, which sees them drawn into the mysterious disappearance of five-year-old Dinah.

Joe, played by Adam Godley, is tasked with investigating the disappearance which follows a fatal explosion linked to the Ministry of Defence.

In an intriguing first episode, Joe is believed to have taken his own life shortly after accepting the case, and Zoe is seen in a morgue where she identifies her spouse’s lifeless body.

Adam, 61, spoke to UPI about his connection with Emma.

He said: “We have a bit of history.

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“I’ve known Emma slightly for a while, so that was something we could already invest in their relationship and it helped us.

“She’s a glorious human being and a mighty impressive actor and, so, any time I spend with Emma is a good time.”

While filming the aforementioned morgue scene, Adam revealed he laid almost naked underneath a sheet in a cold room with his feet poking out the end.

Highlighting his co-star’s kind nature, he said: “To give you a sense of who Emma is, Emma was standing at the foot of the slab and she noticed my feet were poking out from under the blanket and she assumed my feet would be quite cold, so she just tucked them underneath her jumper, pressed them against her belly to keep them warm.”

In Love Actually, Adam played Mr Trench – a small role in a memorable scene at the end of the film.

Mr Trench leads the Christmas choir which features smitten schoolboy Sam drumming in a bid to impress popular classmate Joanne.

Emma played stay-at-home mum Karen in the film whose heart is broken on Christmas Eve when she discovers her husband has bought his secretary expensive jewellery instead of her.

Three years later, they both starred in Nanny McPhee, with Emma in the lead role as the magical disciplinarian who transforms the lives of the kids in her charge.

Adam played the vicar who officiates a chaotic wedding at the film’s climax.