New Zealand’s Laurel Hubbard becomes the first trans person to contest in the Olympics. She will be participating as a weightlifter in the super-heavyweight 87+kg category. She had previously participated in 2013 in the men’s category before her transition.
“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 issued by the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) on Monday.
Speaking of this, NCOG chief Kereyn Smith described this as a historic moment. “She is our first Olympian who has transitioned from male to female,” she told reporters. “We do 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.”
This has been made possible thanks to a new change towards inclusivity by the Olympics committee. According to their new regulations, if the athlete had a certain level of testosterone, they would be allowed to contest in the Olympics. Notably, ‘testosterone’ is a hormone that increases muscle mass. A lot of opposition came up saying that this would give her an unfair advantage. Her entry into the Olympics marks a huge milestone for the LGBTQIA community.
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