The sport continues to face controversies and debates regarding the participation of transgender athletes in different styles. He lived the last episode in the weightlifting competition Canada, Where a weightlifter broke a female record without the organizers doing anything to stop him.
It all happened in the “Heroes Classic” tournament. Avi Silverbergwho was the head coach of the “Weightlifting from Team Canada” For more than a decade, he decided to sign up for the female category despite being a man and not identifying with the female gender. She received the go-ahead from the organization and ended up breaking the record held by Rafe Al-Aber so far.
Silverberg was identified as a woman in the tournament, according to him, with the sole purpose of mocking his country’s transgender politics. The lifter managed to lift 167.5 kilograms in his biggest attempt and in this way surpassed the best mark recorded so far in the female category, around 125 kilograms previously lifted by the passing athlete. Anne Andres. Specifically, this lifter was present at the same tournament and saw firsthand how a man snatched the record from it.
Silverberg himself claimed after the test that he did it only to highlight the injustice of transgender laws in his country, because he himself, without being a woman or even identifying with the female gender, was able to register for the test with the female gender. However, other voices have severely criticized El Rafe as he now holds the record in the women’s category.
Controversial laws
the Canadian Weightlifting Federation It includes in its regulations that contestants can register for auditions simply based on their gender identity without taking their gender into account, all because of its trans policy. Thus, athletes must not disclose personal information beyond what is required of cisgender competitors.
Despite these open policies, during the weigh-in process there are certain requirements that lifters must meet that, in theory, would avoid situations like the one that occurred, but Silverberg managed to circumvent these rules and sneak into the women’s draw to break a record.
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In the cash department, Ann Andress, the record-breaking passing lifter who lost a record due to Silverberg’s participation, was visibly angry at what had happened in this contest. Andres called the new record holder “a coward and a fanatic”.
