Hubbard set to be first trans Olympian

WELLINGTON • Laurel Hubbard will become the first transgender athlete to compete at the Olympics after being selected by New Zealand for the women's weightlifting event at the Tokyo Games, a decision set to reignite the debate over inclusion and fairness in sport.

The 43-year-old, who had participated in men's weightlifting competitions before transitioning in 2013, will compete in the super-heavyweight +87kg category and will be the oldest lifter at the Games.

"I am grateful and humbled by the kindness and support that has been given to me by so many New Zealanders," Hubbard yesterday said in a statement issued by the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC).

NZOC chief Kereyn Smith said it was an "historic moment in sport and for the New Zealand team".

"She is our first Olympian who has transitioned from male to female," Smith said.

"We know that there are many questions about fairness of transgender athletes competing in the Olympic Games but I would like to take this opportunity to remind us all that Laurel has met all of the required criteria."

Hubbard has been eligible to compete at the Olympics since 2015, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued guidelines allowing any transgender athlete to compete as a woman, provided their testosterone levels are below 10 nanomoles per litre for at least 12 months before their first competition.

While some scientists have said the guidelines do little to mitigate the biological advantages of those who have gone through puberty as males, advocates for transgender inclusion argue the process of transition decreases that advantage considerably.

As such, Hubbard's presence in Tokyo will be divisive.

Advocacy group Save Women's Sports Australasia said the selection was due to a "flawed policy from the IOC".

"Males do have a performance advantage that is based on their biological sex," co-founder Katherine Deves told Reuters. "Picking testosterone is a red herring."

On Hubbard's selection for the Tokyo Games, Samoa's weightlifting boss said it would be like letting athletes "dope", while former New Zealand weightlifter Tracey Lambrechs also attacked the decision.

"It's unfortunate that some female, somewhere is like, 'Well I'm going to miss out on going to the Olympics, on achieving my dream, representing my country because a transgender athlete is able to compete'," she said.

Another transgender athlete in BMX rider Chelsea Wolfe will travel to Japan as part of the United States team, but has been named as an alternate and is not assured of competing.

REUTERS