Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard has become the first transgender athlete to compete in the Olympics. The New Zealand Olympic Committee released its list of athletes taking part in the competition in Tokyo on Monday and highlighted their name in its rankings.
The 43-year-old woman, who began her sexual restructuring process in 2012, said, “I am grateful and humbled by the kindness and support that so many New Zealanders have given me.”
Hubbard’s best overall record in the rankings is 285 kg, which makes him one of the best Olympians
According to the New Zealand Olympic Association, Hubbard meets the eligibility criteria of both the International Weightlifting Federation, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and New Zealand.
Karen Smith, CEO of the New Zealand Olympic Committee, said: “We recognize that gender identity is a very sensitive and complex issue in the sport.
Laurel Hubbard, the first trance athlete for the Olympics
Hubbard, who won a silver medal at the 2017 World Championships and was sixth in 2019 with a major injury while competing in the 2019 Commonwealth Games, will already finish seventh + at the Olympics. Weightlifter from Oceania on the final list of the International Weightlifting Federation.
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“When I broke my arm at the Commonwealth Games three years ago, I was advised that my sporting career was coming to an end. But their support, encouragement and aroha (love in Maori) carried me into the dark,” he said.
I am grateful and humbled by the kindness and support given to me by so many New Zealanders. “
Hubbard’s best total record in the rankings is 285 kg, which puts him among the best Olympians to hang a medal in the Japanese capital.
In 2015 the IOC issued guidelines that would allow any transgender athlete to compete as a woman at least 12 months before their first match until their testosterone levels were below 10 nanomols per liter.
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