Sunday, April 08, 2018

Transgender Weightlifter set to Win Gold in Gold Coast Australia


Transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard is favourite to win +90kg gold at the Commonwealth Games, after unsuccessful calls for her to be banned.

Critics claim the 40-year-old New Zealander, who lived as Gavin Hubbard until 2014 and competed internationally as a man, has an unfair advantage.

She won two world silvers in 2017 after being cleared to compete as a woman by the International Olympic Committee.

"Not everyone supports me or accepts me but there are people who do," she said.

The New Zealander - the oldest of the 207 weightlifters at the Games - became eligible to compete as a woman after showing testosterone levels below the threshold required by the IOC.

Australian Weightlifting Federation chief executive Michael Keelan protested against the Kiwi's right to compete at the Commonwealth Games.

"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," Keelan wrote.

Hubbard said: "To anyone who questions my involvement I would say I didn't win (at the World Championships). If people think I have an overwhelming advantage, I think they should look at it in that light."

Source - bbc.co.uk

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