Stunning video footage captured the moment when a male coach claiming to be a woman breaks the women’s bench press record at a powerlifting competition in Canada.
The bearded Avi Silverberg calmly approaches the couch in menswear as part of a protest against the sport’s policy of gender self-identification.
Silverberg then unofficially breaks the women’s bench press record for women over 84 pounds—a record officially held by a transgender powerlifter.
The move, which took place Saturday at the Heroes Classic tournament in Lethbridge, Alberta, was apparently intended to protest Canadian Powerlifting Union (CPU) rules.
Silverberg has yet to comment on his decision to take part in the competition and subsequent win.
It allows anyone who identifies themselves as female to compete in the female category, raising concerns that trans women who have gone through male puberty may have a significant physical advantage over biological female rivals.
The CPU released its “transinclusion policy” in February, which was based on guidelines from the Canadian Center for Ethics in Sport.
Avi Silverberg claimed to be a woman in a powerlifting competition and broke the women’s bench press record in protest of the sport’s gender self-identification policy
Silverberg competed in the women’s category at the Heroes Classic Powerlifting Meet in Lethbridge, Alberta, last Saturday.
He broke a record held by transgender powerlifter Anne Andres, who previously mocked women for being “so bad” at the bench press.
“Why is the women’s bench so bad?” she said in February.
“I mean, not compared to me, we all know I’m a tranny freak so it doesn’t count.
“I mean, standard bench in women’s powerlifting competitions. I literally don’t understand why it’s so bad.’
She made the statements in a video uploaded online.
At the time, Riley Gaines — a spokeswoman for the Independent Women’s Forum and a competitive swimmer who was beaten by transgender athlete Lia Thomas — lashed out at Andres.
She wrote on Twitter: “Anne Andres (man who identifies and competes as a woman) doesn’t understand why female powerlifters are so ‘bad’ at bench press…
The move was apparently in protest of Canadian Powerlifting Union (CPU) rules, which allow anyone who identifies themselves as female to compete in the female category
Silverberg unofficially broke the record for the women’s category over 84 kilograms
‘Well, I don’t know Anne, but maybe it’s because you have 20 times more testosterone than she does. Just a thought…”
ICONS Women, a campaign group dedicated to defending the rights of female athletes in single-sex sports, posted Silverberg’s clip to their Twitter account.
The issue of allowing transgender athletes to participate in women’s sports has become increasingly controversial following a series of high-profile cases.
In 2022, transgender swimmer Lia Thomas divided the sports community after spending three years on the University of Pennsylvania men’s swim team.
Thomas – who is 6 feet 3 inches – came back for her senior year as a swimmer and started breaking records in the pool.
She defeated Gaines, who has since become an outspoken advocate for protecting female spaces in sports.
Gaines not only objected to Thomas’s unfair advantage because she was born male, but also claimed that it made her uncomfortable in the locker room.
“You have someone with male genitalia pulling down his pants and watching you undress. It drives you crazy,” she said at the time.
The official women’s record holder of over 84 kg is transgender powerlifter Anne Andres, who previously mocked women for being “so bad” at the bench press
And in 2021, New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, despite being nearly twice the age of her female rivals.
She had transitioned in 2012 in her 30s, having previously competed in men’s weightlifting competitions.
She took a 16-year break from the sport before returning as a woman in 2017.
She won two silver medals at the 200 lb World Championship in California.
She was able to qualify for the Olympics after the International Olympic Committee changed their rules to allow women to compete if their testosterone levels are below a certain threshold.
In 2021, she was controversially named Sportswoman of the Year by the University of Otago.
And earlier this month, a transgender cyclist won first place in a women’s race in New York City amid ongoing debates over the inclusion of trans athletes in female competition.
Born to male, Tiffany Thomas, 46, finished the Randall’s Island Crit bike race on the podium and blew the competition out of the water to take first place.
Despite not taking up cycling until 2018, Tiffany quickly found success and dominated competitions in the years to come.
She recently landed on the top cycling team LA Sweat, where her oldest teammate is only 32.
Riley Gaines was defeated by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas at last year’s NCAA Championships. Thomas competed as a male swimmer for three years before returning as a female and starting to break records in the pool
New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard (pictured) was controversially named Sportswoman of the Year by the University of Otago in New Zealand
Hubbard transitioned in 2012 in her 30s, having previously competed in men’s weightlifting competitions
It comes after the World Athletics announced it would ban transgender athletes who have gone through “male puberty” from participating in sports on the women’s world rankings.
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said the organization “believes the integrity of the female category in athletics is paramount.”
The decision will prevent Thomas from participating in the world championships or the Olympic Games.