Weightlifter Hubbard becomes lightning rod for criticism of transgender policy

Weightlifter Hubbard becomes lightning rod for criticism of transgender policy

Transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard's gold medal-winning performance at the Pacific Games continues to reverberate long after the event, with a New Zealand women's group demanding sports authorities put a stop to "unfair" competition.
https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/...&x=1866&y=1225© Reuters/PAUL CHILDS Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Hubbard, who competed for New Zealand in men's weightlifting before her transition in her thirties, won two golds and a silver in three of the women's heavyweight categories at the Games in Samoa earlier this month.








She topped the podium ahead of Samoan runner up and Commonwealth Games champion Feagaiga Stowers in both categories, triggering outrage in the Pacific island nation.
With Hubbard free to compete at next year's Tokyo Olympics, the 41-year-old has become a lightning rod for criticism of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s guidelines for the inclusion of transgender athletes.
On Monday, New Zealand based lobby group "Speak Up For Women", which advocates that sport must be categorized by sex rather than gender identity, called on the country's Olympic committee and sports minister to "defend women's sport".
"Kiwis (New Zealanders) know that males competing in women's sport is blatantly unfair," the group's spokesperson Ani O'Brien said.
The call follows criticism from British advocates "Fair Play for Women", who wrote on Twitter that sports officials needed to "wake up" in the days after Hubbard's Pacific Games titles.
IOC guidelines issued in 2015 said any transgender athlete could compete as a woman provided their testosterone levels are below 10 nanomoles per liter for at least 12 months prior to their first competition.
That has been criticized by some scientists, who say it does little to mitigate natural biological advantages enjoyed by male-born athletes, including bone and muscle density.
Researchers at the Dunedin-based University of Otago said in a peer-reviewed study published earlier this month that the IOC guidelines were "poorly drawn" and the mandated testosterone level was still "significantly higher" than that of women.
The study advocated that the IOC ditch its "binary" approach to competition and consider introducing a transgender category or find another solution that balances the desire for inclusion with the need for a level playing field.
The research was dismissed by transgender advocates and athletes.
"The opinions of scientists although valid, are just that, opinions," said New Zealand mountain biker Kate Weatherly, who transitioned as a teenager and has become a national champion competing against women.
"I'm not winning by crazy margins and the anecdotal evidence does point to me having little to no advantage."
Hubbard has shunned the media since competing at last year's Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast, where she was favorite to win heavyweight gold but injured herself during a lift in the competition.
Her golds at the Pacific Games have renewed her profile and her status as a contender at international events.
They have also re-ignited a debate set to rage all the way to Tokyo in 2020.
"I really don’t think he – she – should ever participate in this (tournament), but I realize we have to (be) inclusive and we cannot exclude these people," Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi told Reuters of Hubbard's participation at the Pacific Games.

You can clearly see an advantages if you look at the 2017 results at the OPEN she lift on average 20 KILO more than the second best; 45lbs better in average on the lift while his or her age is now in the master.

You got to be clearly dumb or idelogically motivated not to see the difference

here the results:

https://www.awf.com.au/Portals/0/new...-20-001039-810

the numbers speaks for themselve while the dude-tte who commented that he wins by a slight margin' let's face it, he simply sucks!

big ass crock of shit and you would think that all feminists would be losing their minds. not in our current society though because our society has lost it's evermore mind

Girls have no chance against a dude like that. Disgusting that a human being would be so immoral to enter a competition to blow away competitors who dont stand a chance. They have no shame. No morals. Theyre scumbags. Then they jump up and down celebrating, just to rub it. Sickening.

Its disgusting how society has become.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Fitnessgeared mobile app

I am just sitting back and watching the liberal ideology eat itself.

Women are = to men
a trans woman is as much a woman as a bio woman
BUT.....women cannot compete with trans women. So dudes win again
hell woman of the year Kaitlyn Jenner is a dude. Men even make better women! HAHAHA

Well not in the looks department.