Avi Silverberg: Male powerlifter enters women’s event, breaks record

In a controversial move, Avi Silverberg, a male powerlifter from Canada, decided to compete in a women’s event at the North American Powerlifting Championships last week.

Avi Silverberg is the former head coach of the Canadian Powerlifting Team. He participated in the Heroes Classic tournament in Lethbridge, Alberta on March 25, 2023.

According to Avi, he claimed that he identifies as a woman and that he has the right to participate in any category he chooses. Since Silverberg has been competing in men’s events for over a decade, he easily broke the Alberta Women’s bench press record in the 84+ kg category at the “Heroes Classic.”

Former record holder and trans-identifying male, Anne Andres had a front-row view as Silverberg did his performance. However, his performance sparked outrage among many female powerlifters and fans who accused him of disrespecting the sport.

Avi Silverberg defended his decision stating that he feels more comfortable as a woman and that he has been taking hormone therapy for two years.