Current Events > Trans weightlifter Laurel Hubbard set to make history at Tokyo Olympics

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/may/05/trans-weightlifter-laurel-hubbard-set-to-make-history-at-tokyo-olympics

History and controversy is expected to be made at the Tokyo Olympics this summer after the transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard was effectively guaranteed a place in the womens super heavyweight category.

While the 43-year-old has not yet been named in the New Zealand team, an International Weightlifting Federation insider confirmed to the Guardian that she would automatically qualify because of amended rules approved by the International Olympic Committee.

The insider said that while teams did not have to be named until 5 July, under the new qualification rules, which had come into effect after several competitions were lost because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Hubbard was sure of a place in Tokyo if fit.

It means Hubbard, who won silver at the 2017 world championships and was sixth after a severe injury in 2019, is almost certain to become the first transgender athlete to compete at an Olympics. And while she will be the oldest weightlifter at the Games, she will also have a genuine chance of a medal given her qualifying lifts rank her fourth out of the 14 qualifiers in the 87kg-plus super heavyweight category for Tokyo.

However, her selection will sharply divide opinion between those who see it as an enormous step forward for trans athletes and others who insist she benefits from an unfair advantage.

Under IOC guidelines, issued in November 2015, athletes who transition from male to female can compete in the womens category without requiring surgery to remove their testes provided their total testosterone level in serum is kept below 10 nanomoles per litre for at least 12 months a rule followed by the IWF.

However, a number of scientific papers have recently shown people who have undergone male puberty retain significant advantages in power and strength even after taking medication to suppress their testosterone levels. Hubbard lived as a male for 35 years, and did not compete in international weightlifting. But since transitioning in 2012 she has won several elite titles.

This gonna be interesting to see how it all plays out.
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I'm sure CyricZ is wiping the grease off his keyboard in anticipation for this topic.

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Revnir posted...

The first to compete?

But wait Fox News told me trans athletes have smashed all olympic records already

Hubbard has already won a bunch of gold metals, just not on the Olympic stage. Yet.
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clownworld

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Could have sworn there were other transgender Olympic athletes before but I guess I was confusing it with people who transitioned after they retired from competing.

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no. but there should be another division just for them to make it more fair.
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Yeah, this is BS.

It's one thing to advocate preferred bathrooms and other things for common decency. But google this person and tell me with a straight face that this is fair.

Biological males simply have different physical attributes than Biological females. Sports are not the place for this stuff to take place.

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Oh lord it's that South Park episode literally come to life

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80% of CE is transphobic, I am shocked

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Why are there never articles of FtM dominating male sports? Honest question

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EndOfDiscOne posted...

80% of CE is transphobic, I am shocked

Its not transphobic to not want a former man competing with women

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gmanthebest posted...

Why are there never articles of FtM dominating male sports? Honest question

Same reason zero females join the big leagues even though they're welcome to. They physically can't compete.
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voldothegr8 posted...

This gonna be interesting to see how it all plays out.

We already know how it will play out. She made it just in time while weightlifting is being killed by their own federation

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voldothegr8 posted...

Same reason zero females join the big leagues even though they're welcome to. They physically can't compete.

This, transmen don't compete at the most elite levels of sports for men

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JTilly posted...

Its not transphobic to not want a former man competing with women

It's transphobic to say "former man"

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Going to get an asterisk next to that gold medal win.

EndOfDiscOne posted...

It's transphobic to say "former man"

since you failed to address the actual point of the post you're replying to, does that mean you concede that it's correct?

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Giant_Aspirin posted...

since you failed to address the actual point of the post you're replying to, does that mean you concede that it's correct

It's transphobic to want a blanket ban on trans athletes, just as it's transphobic to describe women as "former men"

Thrice a week, every week. When is enough enough with these threads, guys

Like do you enjoy this?

I actually got moderated for that, good job mods.

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It doesn't really even make any sense with this sport.

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JTilly posted...

I actually got moderated for that, good job mods.

LOL I didn't mark you but that is funny

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Is she hot?

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The-19th-Sparta posted...

I'm sure CyricZ is wiping the grease off his keyboard in anticipation for this topic.

Thats not grease on his keyboard.

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I dont have any issues with trans people but it is a scientific fact they still have their man strength. I think competing under a trans category would be more fitting.

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SauI_Goodman posted...

I dont have any issues with trans people but it is a scientific fact they still have their man strength

I wonder why these people feel so comfortable posting this kind of thing here

SauI_Goodman posted...

I dont have any issues with trans people but it is a scientific fact they still have their man strength. I think competing under a trans category would be more fitting.

that would make the most sense, but that is not what trans athletes want. they want to participate in those events THEY want to, not what someone else wants them to.

I just dont get it. Weightlifting is on its way out the door because of issues with doping (Egypt and Thailand doping teen girls). This encourages that greatly

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Ayyysop posted...

I wonder why these people feel so comfortable posting this kind of thing here

science is science

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I guess this will prove that mtf transgender women have a significant advantage if she gets involved and wins.
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JTilly posted...

science is science

That post is actually factually and scientifically UNsound though. Ain't nobody keeps the same muscle mass after taking estrogen for a significant period of time.

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Wheres the south park episode

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CommonGrackle posted...

that would make the most sense, but that is not what trans athletes want. they want to participate in those events THEY want to, not what someone else wants them to.

By this logic, a 300lb+ professional MMA fighter should be allowed to enter the UFC Featherweight division because he wants to. That makes total sense and we should absolutely fight for the rights of people like those.

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Ayyysop posted...

It's transphobic to want a blanket ban on trans athletes, just as it's transphobic to describe women as "former men"

Thrice a week, every week. When is enough enough with these threads, guys

Like do you enjoy this?

how do you address the utter unfairness of a woman who transitioned at age 35 giving her 35 years of testosterone beefing up her body structure and muscles competing against cis women who have never had a drop enter their bodies?

that's the point EndOfDiscOne failed to address in any capacity. and it's a point i've never seen a satisfactory answer to.

i really try to be accepting of everyone but the idea of this trans woman competing against cis women just seems so unfair and i feel like its bullshit that i'm labeled a "transphobe" for asking this.

edit: not saying you were calling me a "transphobe" here, but i do feel like i'm guaranteed to be jumped on by at least a few people here for asking this question

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I guess the patriarchy was a real thing after all.

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Giant_Aspirin posted...

how do you address the utter unfairness of a woman who transitioned at age 35 giving her 35 years of testosterone beefing up her body structure and muscles to compete against cis women?

that's the point EndOfDiscOne failed to address in any capacity. and it's a point i've never seen a satisfactory answer to.

Shes competed at least twice before and didn't win

Giant_Aspirin posted...

i really try to be accepting of everyone but the idea of this trans woman competing against cis women just seems so unfair and i feel like its bullshit that i'm labeled a "transphobe" for asking this

I'm sorry you don't like being called transphobic by trans people every time you discuss trans athletes. Maybe examine why, instead of pushing back because it makes you uncomfortable

The issue is NOT that Laurel Hubbard is winning. She might just be a top tier elite athlete. The issue is, how good was she before she transitioned?

Because if we've worked out a fair playing field, then her stats should be roughly about the same (correcting for training, lifestyle etc) to before she transitioned, relative to the playing field. If not, questions are fair.

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Giant_Aspirin posted...

how do you address the utter unfairness of a woman who transitioned at age 35 giving her 35 years of testosterone beefing up her body structure and muscles competing against cis women who have never had a drop enter their bodies?

that's the point EndOfDiscOne failed to address in any capacity. and it's a point i've never seen a satisfactory answer to.

i really try to be accepting of everyone but the idea of this trans woman competing against cis women just seems so unfair and i feel like its bullshit that i'm labeled a "transphobe" for asking this.

You're always gonna be labeled an ist-phobe-ism any time you disagree with or ask questions about anything

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Ayyysop posted...

Shes competed at least twice before and didn't win

so you're saying that she has no inherent advantage over all those cis women she's competing against?

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Let her compete. She's a woman and she will compete against other women.

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Giant_Aspirin posted...

so you're saying that she has no inherent advantage over all those cis women she's competing against?

That appears to be the case. The Olympic committee doesn't seem to think it will be an issue (as it hasn't in the past)

Ayyysop posted...

I'm sorry you don't like being called transphobic by trans people every time you discuss trans athletes. Maybe examine why, instead of pushing back because it makes you uncomfortable

im trying to understand how asking "do you think this is fair" means im transphobic. i am literally trying to examine why here

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Great, another topic where people pretend to give a shit about women's sports just because a transwoman achieved something or will achieve something.

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Ayyysop posted...

That appears to be the case. The Olympic committee doesn't seem to think it will be an issue (as it hasn't in the past)

then how do you feel about this quote, taken from the article in OP?

However, a number of scientific papers have recently shown people who have undergone male puberty retain significant advantages in power and strength even after taking medication to suppress their testosterone levels.

SauI_Goodman posted...

I think competing under a trans category would be more fitting.

i feel like this is the only way to be fair to everyone.

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Omg guys/gals?, can it with the transphobia!

Btw i dont give a FUCK about womens sports lmao

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Mareen posted...

Great, another topic where people pretend to give a shit about women's sports just because a transwoman achieved something or will achieve something.

This isn't just normal "women's sports", this is the Olympics

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The way this article has it written sounds like she's qualified because most of her competition wasn't able to qualify due to Covid in an already small competitive field. Heck she's not even leading the qualifiers like you would expect if she was actually just a male body.

This sounds like an issue with amended rules to allow for Covid-19 than it is a trans issue.

Giant_Aspirin posted...

then how do you feel about this quote, taken from the article in OP?

apathetic

pinky0926 posted...

The issue is NOT that Laurel Hubbard is winning. She might just be a top tier elite athlete

I understand what you are trying to say, but masculinization of the human body will make one top tier compared to females

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