A right to her title

Amidst the euphoria of New Zealand’s best performance at Tokyo 2020, the case of our weightlifter Laurel Hubbard has moved out of the flickering light of the Olympic flame.

It seems that’s what she would want.

Hubbard on Monday contested the +87kg category weightlifting, in a debut the International Olympic Committee (IOC) described as the first Games appearance by an openly transgender woman.

Her time on sport’s biggest stage was short-lived — an “overwhelmed” Hubbard failed to complete a successful lift — but it was saluted by trans activists as a historic occasion for a marginalised community.

The arguments around her inclusion were understandable. Many presented compelling cases, some based on the sciences of anatomy and physiology. Current and former athletes, male and female, lobbied against her participation.

While the IOC says it will review its rules around such inclusions in the future, it ruled in Hubbard’s favour based on the premise that her transition had decreased considerably any physical advantage, and that differences between athletes mean there is no truly level playing field in sport.

It can’t have been easy to shut out the quarrelling for the intensely private Hubbard, while preparing for competition.

With a wave of a chalk-dusted hand, she now hopes to slip into a life less scrutinised.

“Age has caught up with me. In fact, if we’re being honest it probably caught up with me some time ago,” said Hubbard, who at 43 was more than 20 years older than most of her rivals.

Agree or disgree with her inclusion, there is no questioning her courage, determination and right to the title Olympian.