Punished for stance on trans athletes, London powerlifter's ban reduced

Originally published in The London Free Press by Jennifer Bieman

London powerlifter April Hutchinson is pumped on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, after her suspension from lifting was reduced to a single year, from two. (Mike Hensen/The London Free Press

A London powerlifter slapped with a two-year ban from the sport for criticizing a trans athlete’s participation in women’s competitions has had her suspension reduced by half.

April Hutchinson, who has represented Canada on the world stage in the sport, launched an appeal after she was hit with a two-year suspension by the discipline committee of the Canadian Powerlifting Union (CPU), the sport’s national sanctioning body, in November.

A Jan. 3 decision by the independent adjudicator hearing the appeal said the CPU’s discipline committee exhibited bias against Hutchinson,

“broke its own rules and tried to make an example of the athlete with a harsh penalty,”

a statement on the decision by Hutchinson’s lawyer said.

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