Laurel Hubbard: 1st Trans Olympian

New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) has selected weightlifter Laurel Hubbard to contest women’s +87 kg category. Weightlifter will be the first transgender athlete to compete at Olympics.

Key Points

• 43-year-old weightlifter had competed in men’s weightlifting competitions before gender transition in 2013.
• Hubbard has been eligible to compete at Olympics since 2015.
• In 2015, International Olympic Committee issued guidelines to allow any transgender athlete to compete as woman on the condition that their testosterone levels are below 10 nanomoles per litre for at least 12 months before they take part in first competition.

About Laurel Hubbard

Hubbard is a New Zealand weightlifter who has been selected to compete at 2020 Summer Olympics. She will be the first transgender athlete to compete in Olympic Games after gender transition. Before her gender transition, Hubbard had set New Zealand junior records in 1998 in newly established M105+ division with snatch 135 kg, clean & jerk 170 kg. However, these records were later surpassed by David Liti. Hubbard transitioned to female and became Laurel Hubbard in 2012.  She won a silver medal at 2017 World Championships and gold in 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa. She also competed at 2018 Commonwealth Games but a serious injury set back her career.

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2021