Kiwi weightlifter to take centre stage at Games
The harsh spotlight will drop on Laurel Hubbard eventually.
Hubbard stayed behind initially as the rest of the Kiwi weightlifting team came to the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, missing the precompetition press conference despite being New Zealand’s best gold medal hope in the sport.
The transgender lifter is bound to attract the attention of gathered media, fans and opposing camps, when she competes in the women’s +90kg class starting on Monday.
Earlier this year, Australian Weightlifting Federation CEO Mike Keelan protested Hubbard’s right to compete at international weightlifting events.
‘‘Ultimately, it is our strong view that weightlifting has always been a gender-specific sport, male and female, not a competition among individuals of various levels of testosterone,’’ he wrote.
‘‘In our respectful view, the current criteria and its application has the potential to devalue women’s weightlifting and discourage female-born athletes from pursuing the sport at the elite level in the future.’’
At a media briefing, an Australian TV outfit enquired about Hubbard.
‘‘It’s very very clear the Laurel is eligible to compete as a woman, in accordance with the weightlifting rules and we respect that right,’’ Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive David Grevemberg said.
‘‘What we have been very clear about is that if constructive discriminatory policies do emerge in any sport, around transgender, around gender, or any other matter, it needs to be based on - is it there to protect safety for the athlete or fellow athlete, is it there to ensure fairness, and how is that determined and is there evidence behind it, and then lastly, can it be universally applied.’’
Hubbard, 40, - the oldest of the 207 weightlifters at the Games lived as a man for 35 years and previously competed in elite men’s weightlifting competitions as Gavin Hubbard. She will be the first transgender athlete to represent New Zealand at a Commonwealth Games.
The International Weightlifting Federation follows rules set by the International Olympics Committee on whether or not transgender athletes can compete as their chosen gender. The IOC revised its 2003 consensus on the matter in 2015, to reflect ‘‘a growing recognition of the importance of autonomy of gender identity in society’’.
‘‘She’s quite an introverted character,’’ Weightlifting New Zealand high performance director Simon Kent said of Hubbard.
‘‘Laurel is Laurel. We want to keep things as normal as we can.’’
That’s only going to hold so long - until Hubbard competes and, most likely, wins gold.
The basis of the argument against Hubbard’s participation is that she has gained an unfair advantage by training and competing as a man for many years.
Samoa Weightlifting Federation president Jerry Wallwork said Samoa lifter Feiagaiga Stowers has been training for the Games knowing she has no hope of winning gold against Hubbard.
’’She is very comfortable with who she is and she is participating in a sport she loves,’’ Kent said. ‘‘At 40 years, this is her last chance to do it on this sort of stage and we’re fully supportive of that.’’
Kent feels Hubbard, who won two silver medals at the world champs in the US last year, is capable of breaking Commonwealth records. She already holds the snatch record at 131kg.
‘‘First, we want her to get a medal and if the opportunity arises she may try for a record in the snatch,’’ Kent said.
‘‘The clean and jerk may be too far away - she’s 11kg off the record held by Ele Opeloge. For the total, she’s 10kg off the record [also held by Opeloge], so we’ll see how the competition goes. She might have a chance at that.’’
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