On Saturday, 25th March 2023, Avi Silverberg – who was the head coach of the Canada Powerlifting Team for more than 10 years – identified himself as a female and participated in the Heroes Classic tournament in Lethbridge, Alberta. In this competition, he smashed a record held by a transwoman lifter who was watching on.
According to reports, Avi Silverberg participated in this competition with the intent to mock the discriminatory policy of the Canadian Powerlifting Union against women. According to this policy, athletes are allowed to register for events under their assumed gender identity and expression, rather than their sex or gender. This means men who identify themselves as women are allowed to participate in women’s sports events. According to this policy, the participants do not attract any consequences for doing so.
🏋️♂️ Team Canada powerlifting coach, Avi Silverberg just broke the Alberta WOMEN's bench press record in the 84+ kg category at the "Heroes Classic."
— ICONS Women (@icons_women) March 27, 2023
Former record holder, trans-identifying male, Anne Andres had a front row view as Silverberg mocked the discriminatory CPU policy… pic.twitter.com/ajhUJPB4gc
The policy also states that there should not be any requirement for hormonal therapy or surgery. It also states that individuals 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.
Avi Silverberg decided to protest these trans policies ruining his sport and did so by ‘self-identifying’ as a woman and shattering a record in the event.
A video of Avi Silverberg’s participation in this competition was shared by an athlete activists’ group called the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS). In this video, Avi Silverberg is seen fully bearded, and he was wearing regular men’s singlet.
ICONS said that Silverberg mocked the discriminatory policy of the Canadian Powerlifting Union that allows competitors to register for events under their “gender identity and expression, rather than their sex or gender”.
Avi Silverberg bench-pressed nearly 370 pounds to beat the current women’s record for Alberta by almost 100 pounds. The earlier record of 275 pounds was held by trans-woman athlete Anne Andres, a biological male. Interestingly, Anne Andres was also present while Avi Silverberg participated in the event. (S)he was volunteering at his event.
(S)he is also the Alberta women’s deadlift champion with a 544-pound record. With a total lift of 1245 pounds, Andres owns the local record for all three lifts. For the past four years, the trans lifter has won eight of nine events in the women’s category.
Anne Andres watched from the edge of the platform as Silverberg smashed her record; (s)he only went back onto the platform after the male lifter – participating in the women’s event – left.
Avi Silverberg is also known as a powerlifting columnist and an online coach. He has not specifically said anything about the competition. However, Anne Andres has shared detailed videos in this regard and called Silverberg a bigot and a coward with malicious intent. While ‘she’ claimed that she has undergone surgical transition, ‘she’ openly admitted that ‘her’ participation in the women’s category isn’t necessarily fair.
Even though Avi Silverberg participated in the women’s category despite being a man, he didn’t break any rule. Because the new rules say that athletes can participate in the gender category they identify with, without the requirement of any medical sex-change. The Trans Inclusion Policy was officially released in February and it essentially stated that if a man says he is a woman, (s)he can compete with biological women, no questions asked.
The policy was based on guidance provided by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports. “Based on this background and available evidence, the Expert Working Group felt that trans athletes should be able to participate in the gender with which they identify, regardless of whether or not they have undergone hormone therapy,” the policy says. Therefore, Silverberg took advantage of this policy and participated in the female category legally despite being biological male.
Bodybuilding influencer Greg Doucette said that Avi Silverberg correctly showed how ridiculous the new Trans Inclusive policy is. “I think this proves a point. If a guy can just show up and then set the … record, doesn’t that prove that it’s not fair? So how long before the powers-that-be suddenly wake up, smell the coffee and understand that if you’re born a female you’re not gonna be as powerful, as strong … as if you were born a male,” Doucette said.
Greg Doucette added that the solution to the problem is to add new category for trans people. “To me the answer is simple — we add a separate category, a new category, the trans category,” he said, saying it is especially important for combat sports where women competitors could get injured.
