'Bloody joke': Olympians fume over transgender weightlifter's 'world records'
A transgender weightlifter has received backlash from Olympians after she announced she had broken four world records at the 100% Raw Weightlifting Federation competition in the US.
Mary Gregory claimed on Instagram she won ‘nine out of nine’ events, which included setting a new Masters world squat record, open world bench record, Masters world deadlift record and Masters world total record.
“What a day, 9 for 9! Masters world squat record, open world bench record, masters world dl record, and masters world total record! Still processing, full meet recap to come a bit later but I do want to thank a few people,” she wrote.
A post shared by Mary Gregory (@75marylifts) on Apr 27, 2019 at 2:09pm PDT
‘Unfair playing field’
But former Great Britain Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies appeared to take exception to Gregory competing in the female weightlifting competition.
Davies has previously spoken out against transgender competition claiming on Twitter: “Any records set by trans woman ( those born males with male biology & advantages) should be removed when all of this confusion & unfairness is sorted out.”
This time she claimed it was an “unfair playing field”.
“This is a trans woman a male body with male physiology setting a world record & winning a woman’s event in America in powerlifting. A woman with female biology cannot compete.. it’s a pointless unfair playing field,” she wrote.
This is a trans woman a male body with male physiology setting a world record & winning a woman’s event in America in powerlifting. A woman with female biology cannot compete.. it’s a pointless unfair playing field. https://t.co/sI9i3AFANB
— Sharron Davies MBE (@sharrond62) April 28, 2019
Another British track Olympian, Kelly Holmes, commented on Davies’ Twitter post claiming she was “getting ready for biological women to boycott certain events”.
Its a bloody joke and all getting ready for biological women to boycott certain events.Have a trans category if need be but even better a trans games.Otherwise i’m starting to worry about the backlash and abuse that the trans community will get from spectators. It will happen!
— Kelly Holmes (@damekellyholmes) April 28, 2019
But Gregory thanked the Raw Powerlifting Federation for treating her as “just another female lifter”.
As a transgender lifter I was unsure what to expect going into this meet and everyone- all the spotters, loaders, referees, staff, meet director, all made me welcome and treated me as just another female lifter- thank you,” she wrote.
“And thanks to all the fans in the audience who cheered me on and congratulated me.”
Yahoo Sport Australia has contacted the Raw Powerlifting Federation for comment.
