Laurel Hubbard: Transgender weightlifter selected for Tokyo Olympics
- Published
Laurel Hubbard earned silver at the 2017 World Championships
Laurel Hubbard will become the first transgender athlete to compete at an Olympics after being selected for the New Zealand women's team at Tokyo 2020.
Hubbard, 43, competed in men's events before transitioning in 2013.
She has been eligible to compete in the Olympics as a transgender athlete since 2015, when the International Olympic Committee changed its guidelines.
Hubbard was able to secure a place for Tokyo after weightlifting's governing body modified qualifying requirements.
The change meant athletes only had to attend four competitions rather than six because of the impact of Covid-19.
Super-heavyweight Hubbard earned silver at the 2017 World Championship and now has a world ranking of 17.
Several of her higher-ranked rivals will be missing from the Tokyo Games because only one athlete is allowed per country in each category.