The media is super thrilled over the notion that “Laurel Hubbard” could set records
New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard on verge of becoming first transgender Olympian
A revision in Olympic qualification standards has set the stage for New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, a transgender woman, to qualify for the Tokyo Games, the New Zealand Olympic Committee announced Thursday.
Hubbard would be the first transgender person to compete in the Olympics if she makes it.
Per Reuters, the NZOC said the International Weightlifting Federation had revised its qualifications due to the impact of COVID-19, opening the door for Hubbard to head to Tokyo. (snip)
Hubbard has been competing internationally for years, with a gold medal in the 2019 Pacific Games and a sixth-place finish at the 2019 World Championships in the +87 kg division. Per NBC Sports, she currently ranks 16th in the world in her weight class for Olympic qualifying, and holds the top spot in Oceania by a narrow margin.
Hubbard’s career has predictably been divisive, with fans and rival nations decrying her presence in the sport. Her silver medal at the 2017 World Championships was preceded by a torrent of social media abuse, and a spot in the much more visible Olympics is basically guaranteed to fan the flames as transgender athletes become a hot-button issue in the United States and elsewhere.
Good news: a man will be taking medals away from women in the Olympics https://t.co/PQjD63uq8A
— William Teach2 ??????? #refuseresist (@WTeach2) May 6, 2021
Does he look like a woman? How many medals will he take away from real women who trained hard to be able to make the Olympics and compete? Realistically, he could train hard and easily be able to exceed the real women.
