The International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) issued a policy change for transgender athletes on Monday after a trans woman dominated a female competition this month.
“For a transgender athlete to compete in the sport of powerlifting at any level, he/she must declare before competing that he/she is a transgender athlete. If an athlete fails to declare that he/she is a transgender and competes that violation leads to Disqualification of the result obtained in that Competition with all resulting Consequences, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes,” the IPF said in an updated policy document.
The announcement by the IPF comes shortly after Anne Andres, a transgender woman, won a female powerlifting competition in Canada over the weekend. Andres, 40, set an all-time powerlifting record at the 2023 Western Canadian Championship, hosted by the Canadian Powerlifting Union, Fox News reported.
Transgender athletes competing in sports have remained a controversial topic in recent months as part of the larger conversation about transgender rights—in particular, transgender women seeking to compete in female sports. The International Chess Federation recently announced a ban on transgender women competing in the female category of the competition.
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Last month, a cycling race organizer changed its rules to state that individuals who were born female are only allowed to compete in the female category, while transgender women will be allowed to compete in an “open” category.
Newsweek reached out to the International Powerlifting Federation via email for comment.
Shortly after Andres’ victory, April Hutchinson, a professional powerlifter who is biologically female, spoke out against the sport’s transgender policy.
“My boyfriend could basically walk in tomorrow, identify as female, compete, and then the next day, go back to being a man again. No proof, no ID required, just basically going on how you feel that day or whatever gender you want to it,” Hutchinson said during an interview with TalkTV in the United Kingdom.
“It’s been very disheartening the national record that he broke…athletes have been chasing that for years,” she said. “And we’re talking we’re talking top athletes who have been training and training and training.”
Hutchinson celebrated on X, formerly Twitter on Monday when the policy change was announced.
“A big WIN for women in powerlifting Canada today. The @IPF_tweet has changed policy. It’s not a perfect policy but a step in the right direction. No more inclusion policy. See what speaking up can achieve?” Hutchinson wrote on X.
The updated IPF policy document also notes that transgender athletes must abide by specific testosterone levels, stating that “The athlete must 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.”