A Kiwi first

Kiwi weightlifter Laurel Hubbard has become the first transgender sportsperson to represent New Zealand in an international competition – and marked the occasion with a win. Hubbard was competing at the Australian International event in Melbourne on Sunday in the women’s over 90kg division. The 39-year-old lifted 123kg in the snatch discipline, and then produced a clean-and-jerk lift of 145kg for a 268kg total – 19kg better than the second-placed competitor. That result will boost Hubbard’s claim for selection for the NZ weightlifting team for next year’s Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in Australia.