Tokyo Games: New Zealander Weightlifter Selected As First Transgender Olympian
New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard was selected as the first transgender Olympic athlete after Kiwi officials made a groundbreaking call on "a highly sensitive and complex issue".
New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard was named the first transgender Olympic athlete on Monday after Kiwi officials made the announcement on a "sensitive and complex issue". New Zealand Olympic Committee official Kereyn Smith said Hubbard, 43 - who was born a man but went on to become a woman in his 30s - met all the qualifications for transgender athletes. "We acknowledge that gender in sport is a sensitive and complex issue that requires a balance between human rights and non-discrimination in the field of sport," Smith said in a statement.
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"As a New Zealand team, we have a strong tradition of manaaki (caring) and inclusion and respect for all people."
Hubbard, who also competed as a man, was privileged to raise as a woman after showing testosterone levels below the threshold required by the International Olympic Committee.
She will compete in the women's 87kg category at the Tokyo Olympics, an event that is currently ranked 16th in the world.
Olympic Weightlifting New Zealand president Richie Patterson said Hubbard had worked hard to recover from a hamstring injury at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
"Laurel has shown resilience and resilience in her recovery from major injuries and overcame the challenges of building confidence in the competitive arena," she said.
However, support for Hubbard's election is unanimous, with his teammate Tracey Lambrechs saying last month that the concerns of female-born weightlifters were being ignored.
"I've had female rescuers come to me and say 'This is not right, what can we do?'" She told the TVNZ broadcaster.
"Unfortunately there is nothing we can do because every time we talk (they are worried) we are told to be quiet."
"As a New Zealand team, we have a strong tradition of manaaki (caring) and inclusion and respect for all people."
Hubbard, who also competed as a man, was privileged to raise as a woman after showing testosterone levels below the threshold required by the International Olympic Committee.
She will compete in the women's 87kg category at the Tokyo Olympics, an event that is currently ranked 16th in the world.
Olympic Weightlifting New Zealand president Richie Patterson said Hubbard had worked hard to recover from a hamstring injury at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
"Laurel has shown resilience and resilience in her recovery from major injuries and overcame the challenges of building confidence in the competitive arena," she said.
However, support for Hubbard's election is unanimous, with his teammate Tracey Lambrechs saying last month that the concerns of female-born weightlifters were being ignored.
"I've had female rescuers come to me and say 'This is not right, what can we do?'" She told the TVNZ broadcaster.
"Unfortunately there is nothing we can do because every time we talk (they are worried) we are told to be quiet."
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'Keep an open mind'
IOC rules state that a passing woman can compete as long as her testosterone levels are below 10 nanomoles per liter, which is how Hubbard met.
But critics say she has many physical benefits from a man's age which makes his presence in the competition unhealthy for female-born athletes.
Hubbard, a highly independent journalist, did not address the issue of gender issues in a statement issued by the NZOC.
He thanked the community for their support after his recovery.
"Thank you and I am humbled for the kindness and support I have received from so many New Zealanders ... your support, your encouragement, and your love carried me through the dark," he said.
American transgender BMX rider Chelsea Wolfe also has an outside chance to compete in the Games after being selected as an alternative to the American team, meaning he will travel to Tokyo but only take part if his teammates are forced to withdraw.
But it is Hubbard who has become the invisible rod of lightning in some vitriolic conversations through transgender participation in sports.
Donald Trump Jr. he had hoped that Hubbard would be chosen as a "joke", while British television presenter Piers Morgan denounced women's rights "destroyed at the altar of political reform"
In an unusual speech in 2017, Hubbard talked about learning to block criticism and “keep driving” as an actor.
"I remember I won't be sponsored by everyone but I hope people can stay open-minded and maybe look at my work in a broader way," he told stuff.co.nz.
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