New Zealand’s Laurel Hubbard will make history in Tokyo next month when she becomes the first openly transgender athlete to compete in the Olympic Games. The weightlifter is a medal contender – she won silver at the 2017 women’s world championships.
Hubbard is ranked fourth among women’s weightlifters weighing more than 192 pounds. At 43-years old, she is one of the oldest Olympic weightlifters of all-time.
Hubbard lived as a male for 35 years before transitioning in 2012. The International Olympic Committee has had an inclusion policy for trans athletes since 2003. Hubbard is in compliance with the strict guidelines. USA TODAY explains:
Athletes transitioning from male to female must declare their gender as female for a minimum of four years, demonstrate that their testosterone levels are below 10 nanomoles for a minimum of 12 months and maintain those levels throughout the duration of their eligibility to compete.
“We acknowledge that gender identity in sport is a highly sensitive and complex issue requiring a balance between human rights and fairness on the field of play,” said Kereyn Smith, chief executive of the New Zealand Olympic Committee. “We are committed to supporting all eligible New Zealand athletes and ensuring their mental and physical well-being, along with their high-performance needs, while preparing for and competing at the Olympic Games are met.”
For Hubbard, making the Tokyo Olympics isn’t just a milestone in trans rights; it’s also a comeback story. She broke her arm in 2018 and was told her career was likely over:
“I am grateful and humbled by the kindness and support that has been given to me by so many New Zealanders,” Hubbard said in a statement. “When I broke my arm at the Commonwealth Games three years ago, I was advised that my sporting career had likely reached its end. But your support, your encouragement, and your [love] carried me through the darkness.”
Hubbard’s Olympic bid is not without controversy. From The Guardian:
However, the IOC’s [guidelines have] recently come under fire after scientific papers were published which said that people who have undergone male puberty retain significant advantages, including in power and strength, even after taking medication to suppress their testosterone levels.
Last year, the scientists Emma Hilton and Tommy Lundberg found that the male performance advantage in weightlifting was 30% when compared to women. Their research indicated that even when transgender women suppressed testosterone for 12 months, the loss of lean body mass, muscle area and strength was only around 5%.
“I’m mindful I won’t be supported by everyone but I hope that people can keep an open mind and perhaps look at my performance in a broader context,” Hubbard told New Zealand news outlet Stuff. “Perhaps the fact that it has taken so long for someone like myself to come through indicates that some of the problems that people are suggesting aren’t what they might seem.”
