New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard has sparked controversy on social media after it was confirmed that the transgender athlete will compete against women at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
As reported by Sky Sports, Hubbard was approved to represent her home country in the upcoming olympic tournament after she met the requirements stipulated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Why was Laurel Hubbard approved to compete at 2020 Tokyo Olympics?
In 2015, the IOC published a new set of guidelines that allowed transgender athletes to compete with women provided that their testosterone levels fell below 10 nanomoles per litre.
Multiple tests would be conducted and in order to meet the IOC requirements, the transgender athlete would have to record below-10 nanomole readings for at least 12 months before the tournament.
According to a statement released by the New Zealand Olympic Committee, Hubbard, who previously competed in the heavy-weightlifting category as a male almost 10 years ago, met all requirements, including the International Weightlifting Federation’s selection criteria.
“I am grateful and humbled by the kindness and support that has been given to me by so many New Zealanders,” Hubbard reacted to the news.
What makes Hubbard different from Caster Semenya?
Hubbard’s inclusion at this year’s Olympic Games comes a month after South African gold medalist Caster Semenya failed in her second attempt to feature in the competition.
A newly enforced rule that prohibits women with unusually high levels of testosterone has marked Semenya out of contention in races between 400m to a mile (1600m).
As reported by AFP, the 30-year-old failed to register a qualifying time of 15:10.00 and below when she made her second 5 000m attempt in Durban on Friday 28 May 2021.
While this time around, she registered a time of 15:32:15 (minutes:seconds:milliseconds), a notable improvement from her first attempt where she clocked 15:52.28, it still was not enough to warrant her inclusion in Japan, between 23 July and 8 August 2021.
Semenya has until Tuesday 29 June 2021 to meet the 5 000m requirements, or else she will be forced to sit out the Olympic Games for this year.
The fundamental difference between Hubbard and Semenya, in this regard, is that the South African olympian has outrightly refused to chemically adjust her biological form to meet the World Athletics’ requirements for testosterone-heavy athletes to compete with women.
Thus far, Semenya’s appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has been rejected twice. Her only available outlet to challenge the controversial rule is the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) but if she pursues it, she may have to wait until the conclusion of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to do so.
“We acknowledge that gender identity in sport is a highly sensitive and complex issue requiring a balance between human rights and fairness on the field of play. As the New Zealand Team, we have a strong culture of inclusion and respect for all.
“We are proud of her as we are of all our athletes, and will be supporting her all the way,” NZOC head Kereyn Smith said in reaction to Hubbard representing New Zealand in Japan.
This is how social media reacted to Hubbard’s inclusion in the all-woman heavy-weightlifting category:
They’re letting a transgender athlete compete in Tokyo but they banned Caster Semenya, a biological woman, from competing in her disciplines for having naturally higher hormone levels … the powers that be in athletics need to give their heads a massive wobble is all I’ll say
— Иван (@ivan_i94) June 21, 2021
Oh? But Caster Semenya, a natural born woman is barred from competing in her disciplines because she has higher hormone levels, qwhite interesting. https://t.co/EqdLwkScdv
— Gigi ⭐⭐ (@LitSego) June 21, 2021
I’m really confused, because Caster Semenya, (a woman born a woman) is going through HELL to compete against other women because of her “natural advantages”. But surely a woman who went through puberty as a man, has more advantages? https://t.co/ciG1JZRpCS
— AuntySocial (@its_tiff_init) June 21, 2021
Caster Semenya has been told to compete with men or reduce her naturally occurring testosterone, whilst this can happen? The Olympic Committee is a joke. https://t.co/5l83oj6Dpo
— Chief (@Ntsako_24) June 21, 2021