'Actually a male': Transgender weightlifter stripped of world records

A transgender weightlifter has been stripped of her controversial world records after a ruling from the RAW Powerlifting Federation.

Mary Gregory sparked controversy earlier in May after claiming on Instagram that she’d 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 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.

However, RAW Powerlifting Federation have now decided to take the titles off the American athlete, in a decision that could have huge ramifications for transgender athletes.

The president of the Federation, Paul Bossi, told Mail Online that Gregory could not have been considered a female when she broke the records.

“It was revealed that this female lifter was actually a male in the process of becoming a Transgender female,” Bossi said.

“Our rules, and the basis of separating genders for competition, are based on physiological classification rather than identification.

“On the basis of all information presented to the Board of Directors for this particular case, the conclusion made, is that the correct physiological classification is male.”

Urine test determines weightlifter’s fate

Gregory claims that the federation’s decision came after it insisted one of their officials was present when she was made to provide a urine sample.

“I did my business while somebody watched me sitting on the toilet,” Gregory told Outsports.

“So that’s where that statement comes from, because I’m sure she told them, ‘Hey! This girl’s got a penis!'”

Gregory was allowed to compete as a female athlete after using hormone blockers to regulate her testosterone levels for the past 11 months.

However, this new ruling follows a similar decision by USA Powerlifting, who last week voted in favour of banning transgender athletes from competing against others that match their ‘gender identity’.

“Men naturally have a larger bone structure, higher bone density, stronger connective tissue and higher muscle density than women,” USA Powerlifting said on the decision.

“These traits, even with reduced levels of testosterone do not go away. While MTF (male to female) may be weaker and less muscle than they once were, the biological benefits given them at birth still remain over than of a female.”

World records spark outrage from athletes

Gregory’s record haul led to angry backlash from Olympians, with many claiming her feats should never have been allowed to stand.

Former Great Britain Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies took 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.

Another British track Olympian, Kelly Holmes, commented on Davies’ Twitter post claiming she was “getting ready for biological women to boycott certain events”.