Despite concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus, the Tokyo Olympics, which was postponed last year, is moving forward this year, but one New Zealand female athlete is making headlines around the world.
The athlete in question is weightlifter Laurel Hubbard.
On June 11th, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) announced the world rankings for deciding who will compete in the Tokyo Olympics. Hubbard placed 7th in the women's over 87kg class, placing her in the top 8 in the world to qualify for the Olympics in each weight class. The New Zealand Weightlifting Federation then recommended Hubbard as a candidate, and the New Zealand Olympic Committee reviewed whether she met the national team standards. It was officially decided that she would compete in the Olympics as a representative of New Zealand.
Why is Hubbard such a hot athlete?
First ever transgender Olympian
Hubbard, who qualified, is 43 years old. Before undergoing gender reassignment surgery in 2013 and changing her gender from male to female, she was active as a male athlete and held the New Zealand national junior record. Yes, Hubbard is a transgender athlete. She now competes as a female athlete. Hubbard has become the first transgender athlete in history to compete in the Olympics after changing her gender.
He won a silver medal at the 2017 World Championships and represented New Zealand at the 2018 Commonwealth Games (a multi-sport event held in countries and regions that belong to the Commonwealth of Nations, like New Zealand), but suffered a serious elbow injury. At the time, he thought his career as an athlete was over, but he made a spectacular comeback in 2019 at the Pacific Games (a multi-sport event for South Pacific countries).
Hubbard previously said in an interview on national television,
I am who I am. I don't try to change history. I just do what I have to do.
I once answered, ``Yes, I am.''
Is the inclusion of transgender women unfair?
There has been a lot of debate about athletes participating in sports in the gender they are assigned after undergoing gender reassignment surgery, rather than the gender they were assigned at birth.
Some people claim that even though she has undergone gender reassignment surgery, her skeleton and muscles are those of a man. In addition, in the case of Hubbard, since she has competed as a male athlete in the past, some say that her body (muscles) remembers those experiences and that this gives her an advantage. In recent research, some athletes in the same weight class as Hubbard have already voiced their support for the LGBTQ+ community, but that Hubbard has a physical advantage and that it is unfair.
At this stage, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the world of sports medicine have stated their view that these differences in bone structure and muscles are merely individual differences, not gender differences.
There are still many problems to be solved
On the other hand, it seems that competing in accordance with the Olympic standards would be a huge challenge - and a big risk - for Hubbard.
Sex reassignment surgery is physically risky. After surgery, the body is no longer able to produce hormones. Therefore, to support themselves mentally and physically, people who have undergone sex reassignment surgery take supplements or injections to get the hormones they need.
One of the conditions for Hubbard to compete as a woman is that she must maintain a low level of the male hormone (testosterone), which poses a great risk to transgender athletes like Hubbard. There are also criticisms that the medical basis on which the IOC set this limit is too old.
The Olympics are not ready to accept transgender athletes. It is a huge mistake to think that simply lowering the testosterone levels of XY chromosomes (men) will give them the same testosterone levels as XX chromosomes (women).
"I'm not a transgender person," said Kristen Worley, a bi-national New Zealand and Canadian cyclist who is transgender. Worley previously sued the IOC for denying her the right to compete in the Olympics because she was transgender, claiming it was a violation of her human rights and winning the case.
In order to protect athletes, transgender participation in sports requires further discussion and research, not only from the perspective of human rights, but also from the perspective of mental and physical well-being.
Hubbard's comments are published on the New Zealand Olympic Team website .
I am so grateful and humbled by the thoughts and support of so many people in New Zealand.
When I broke my arm at the Commonwealth Games three years ago, I was advised that my athletics career had come to an end, but your support, encouragement and love pulled me out of the darkness.
The last 18 months have taught me the strength of family, community and purpose. The mana of the Silver Fern comes from you all. I will wear it with pride.
