The International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) warned the Canadian Powerlifting Union (CPU) over it allowing a biological man to compete against women in the form of an ultimatum.
The federation’s rules state that “no lifter should have an unfair and disproportionate advantage over another athlete.”
To that end, athletes who identify as transgender—biological men who undergoing cross-sex procedures—are required to “demonstrate that her total testosterone level in serum has been equal or below 2.4 nanomoles per litre (nmol/L) and/or free testosterone equal or below 0.433 nmol/dL (or at or below the upper limit of normal of a particular laboratory reference) for at least 12 months prior to her first competition.”
“The athlete’s total testosterone level in serum must remain at or below 2.4 nmol/litre (nmol/L) and free testosterone at or below 0.433 nmol/L (or at or below the upper limit of normal of the laboratory reference) throughout the period of desired eligibility to compete in the female category.”
Noncompliance with testing will render the athlete ineligible for competition.
“It’s different in different sports. We are a strength sport, so of course, it is different from other sport. And so we worked out a long time [ago] this policy but Canada never did follow that policy,” Mr. Parage said.
“It is important to do that because [when] we worked out the transgender policy, we wanted to make sure that we don’t discriminate against women. It is needed to have such a policy to make sure if a transgender compete[s], that it is fair [to] the women.”
Controversial Record
The CPU championships took place from Aug. 10 to Aug. 17, where Anne Andres lifted 1,327 pounds.This was 470 pounds more than SuJan Gill, in second place.
Mr. Andres is a 40-year-old who gender transitioned at 20 years old, after going through male puberty, according to an Instagram post.
“[I] didn’t touch a barbell in my entire life until seven years ago,” he said in the post. “In theory, I will be representing Canada at IPF Masters Worlds in October 2024. Unless I get hurt, I will win by a good margin.”
In another post, he added that he has always had low testosterone.
“My test [testosterone] is lower than almost every human on this planet,” he said. “It was low during puberty, it is non-existent now. These are the first tests you run as a transwoman to find out how much you need to suppress. Didn’t take much. So, not exactly valid.”
Ms. Gill was supportive of Mr. Andres.
“My view is that everyone is forgetting that Anne Andres is a human being with emotions, and a desire to be accepted, as we all are,” she told The Epoch Times in an Instagram message. “As a fellow human being, I chose to support her, as she chooses to support me and all of our fellow lifters.”
But other athletes in the sport weren’t so much.
While Mr. Andres’s 1,327-pound lift was the second highest ever recorded in women’s weightlifting, it was a far cry from records in the men’s division, Ms. Hutchinson pointed out.
“The top 20 men’s competitors lift over 2,000lbs. If Andres competed against them, Andres wouldn’t even rank in the top 6,000,” she wrote.
The two had a falling out after arguing over whether New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, a biological man who transitioned at age 35 and demonstrated his testosterone levels were below 10 nanomoles per litre (nmol/L) as per the governing guidelines, should have been allowed to participate in the Olympics.
In the op-ed, she accused Mr. Andres of ridiculing biological women in his social media posts and videos, and demonstrating little understanding of biological differences in upper body strength.
“What observers of the Canadian Powerlifting Union (CPU) awards ceremony didn’t see is that the athletes, who stood alongside Andres on the podium were the only other competitors. Two others had dropped out,” she wrote.
Ms. Hutchinson said that other female athletes have quit the sport entirely, and she avoided the Canadian National Championships herself in February so as to not have to compete against Mr. Andres. She said the CPU ignored the concerns she raised about their transgender policy and later threatened her with suspension.
“More women have quit or lost weight in order to qualify for different classes and not lift against Andres. One friend of mine says she’s suffered a mental breakdown after her dreams were crushed,” she wrote. “If and, hopefully, when the CPU comes to its senses, the records of biological men must be wiped away.”
