New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard is the first openly transgender athlete to compete in the Olympics.
While in Tokyo, Hubbard failed to register a lift in the super-heavyweight competition.
She registered three no lifts in the snatch, meaning she could not move on to the clean and jerk.
Hubbard transitioned eight years ago, and now at 43 years old, she has met all of the requirements for fair competition.
Her qualification and inclusion in the competition has sparked debate over whether it is fair for her to participate.
in 2015, the International Olympic Committee made a decision that transgender athletes could compete as women as long as their testosterone levels were under 10 nanomoles per litre for a minimum of 12 months before their first competition.
Richard Budgett, the IOC’s medical director, supported Hubbard’s right to compete, stating “Laurel Hubbard is a woman, and is competing under the rules of her federation, and we have to pay tribute to her courage and tenacity in actually competing and qualifying for the Games”.
Many on Twitter are using Hubbard’s failure to support their idea that trans women do not have an unfair advantage. This doesn’t change the fact that Hubbard’s body is biologically different than that of those against who she competes.
