As Canada continues to let men compete in powerlifting championships against women without any restrictions, the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) finally issued an ultimatum to the Canadian Powerlifting Union (CPU) — telling them that they need to follow the rules or they “risk to be suspended.”
In a statement to the Daily Mail, IPF President Gaston Parage explained that the organization had issued an ultimatum on Monday — warning Canada that the country’s powerlifting union must abide by its rules regarding men competing against women.
Parage noted that IPF rules state “no lifter should have an unfair and disproportionate advantage over another athlete.”
“It is important to do that because we worked out the transgender policy we wanted to make sure that we don’t discriminate against women,” Parage wrote. “It is needed to have such a policy to make sure if a transgender competes, that it is fair to the women. That is how we worked out the transgender policy.”
“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 this policy but Canada never did follow that policy,” he added. “They risk to be suspended if they do not follow that policy.”
The ultimatum comes soon after so-called “transgender powerlifter” Anne Andres — a man masquerading as a woman — set a women’s national powerlifting record and an unofficial women’s world record at the Canadian Powerlifting Union’s 2023 Western Canadian Championship in Brandon, Manitoba, earlier this month.
“Andres’ total would have placed him amongst the top-performing male powerlifters in the entire championship had he participated in the men’s category,” according to Reduxx.
This is NOT a legitimate 🇨🇦National Record.
This is a mediocre lift by a mediocre male who is being allowed to lift against women because… hair colour? 🤔
Shame on the Canadian Powerlifting Union (CPU).
This is discrimination against the female competitors.#SaveWomensSports pic.twitter.com/F8mdFpnz01— International Consortium on Female Sport (ICFS) (@ICFSport) August 14, 2023
However, IPF rules would almost certainly disqualify Andres from competing in the women’s division.
“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,” the rules state. “Compliance with these conditions must be monitored by testing at intervals as determined by IPF Medical Commission. In the event of non-compliance, the athlete’s eligibility for female competition is suspended and reapplication for validity to compete in female category is required.”
Canada has no such rules for powerlifting, as they follow a Policy Guidance statement that says that so-called transgender athletes “should be able to participate in the gender with which they identify and not be subject to requirements for disclosure of personal information beyond those required of cisgender athletes. Nor should there be any requirement for hormonal therapy or surgery.”
"A lot of women yesterday dropped out of the competition because they knew that Anne [Andres] would be lifting."
Powerlifter April Hutchinson says the federation is 'doing nothing' amid concerns over a trans woman competing in the female category.@Lea_Christina4 | @RooLockwood pic.twitter.com/otFLjpMllM
— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) August 14, 2023
