Transgender Weightlifter Claims Victory in Women’s National Championship

Transgender weightlifter Vicki Piper achieved first place in the Masters National Weightlifting Championships in Reno, Nevada, sparking controversy among those concerned about fairness in women’s sports, as reported by ABC15 News on Wednesday.

Piper claimed first place in both her age and weight categories for women, lifting 56 kilograms in the snatch and 71 kilograms in the clean and jerk.

Her total weight lifted exceeded the second-place finisher by 17 kilograms.

Conservatives expressed outrage, with former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy tweeting on X criticizing the shift in progressive views on gender and sports. Colorado GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert also chimed in on X, calling for the exclusion of men from women’s sports.

USA Weightlifting has implemented rules allowing transgender athletes to compete if they have undergone hormone therapy for at least two years to mitigate any competitive advantages based on gender.

Last year, a court ruling in Minnesota mandated that USA Powerlifting must permit transgender athletes to participate in women’s divisions, according to ABC15 News.