Sask. woman medals in international strongman competition after trans athlete disqualified
CBC
Heading into last weekend, Jackie Osczevski knew it would be tougher than normal to carry a 550-pound timber frame, not to mention lifting a 225-pound log over her head.
The 33-year-old from Martensville was fighting a cold, and fighting to hold onto her second place spot at the Official Strongman Games World Championships in Arlington, Texas Nov. 20-23, which included more than 400 athletes from 40 different countries.
So Osczevski was disappointed when she dropped two spots from last year’s competition, coming in fourth, but figured her cold, and an impressive newcomer who took first place, factored into her standings.
It turns out both were true.
“I was pretty defeated. I wanted to hold onto my second-place title,” Osczevski said after arriving back home in Martensville this week.
But shortly after the competition wrapped last weekend, she learned that she would be moved up to third place.
That’s because the person who won first place — a trans woman — didn’t let organizers know she was a male at birth, which was against the regulations to enter the women’s open category.
Osczevski said it’s unclear to her why the athlete was entered in the women’s open category, which specified that only athletes registered as female at birth were eligible.
A representative from the Official Strongman Games did not respond to requests for an interview, but did make a Facebook post about the situation.
"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 post stated.
Osczevski said the strongman competitions make a point of including categories for trans athletes, and described the sport as inclusive and welcoming to all genders.
“We actually do have an open persons category. So we're a very welcoming sport. We welcome everyone. We don't discriminate.”
Osczevski can deadlift 495 pounds. While that number is impressive — and incomprehensible for most people — it’s still about 300 pounds less than her male competitors lift.
“I'm not as strong as a man,” she said.
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