Get to know Laurel Hubbard: 5 facts about the groundbreaking openly transgender Olympian
For the Tokyo Olympics this summer, For The Win is helping you get to know some of the star Olympians competing on the world’s biggest stage. Leading up to the Opening Ceremony, we’re highlighting 23 athletes in 23 days. Up next up is Laurel Hubbard.
Laurel Hubbard's selection to New Zealand's Olympic team — to compete in women's weightlifting at the super-heavyweight 87+kg class — has been controversial: The International Olympic Committee only affirmed it would back her selection to the team on July 17th, not even a week before the Tokyo games were slated to begin.
Hubbard, 43, will join Canadian soccer player Quinn as the first openly transgender athletes to compete in the Olympics. A third openly transgender athlete, Chelsea Wolfe, is an alternate on the U.S. BMX freestyle team.
Here are five facts to know about Hubbard as she makes history in Tokyo.
READ MORE FROM OUR TOKYO OLYMPICS 23 in 23 SERIES HERE.
1. Hubbard's path to the Olympics was long and uneven
Hubbard is often characterized by media in her home country as being intensely private, and she has given interviews sparingly. But what she has said is enough to piece together her story.
Her father, Dick, is a successful businessman who served as Mayor of Aukland from 2004 to 2007. Hubbard had competed in weightlifting before transitioning, and even set a national junior record in 1998. But she stopped lifting seriously in 2001, she says, when she realized that participating in a traditionally masculine sport would not change who she is.
USA TODAY's Emily Adams also wrote about the process Hubbard went through to reach this point:
Kaitlyn Fassina, who took bronze at the event, also expressed reservations:
5. Hubbard has a chance to earn a medal, though gold may be out of reach
(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Li Wenwen of China holds the world record in both Olympic events — the snatch and the clean and jerk — and therefore also the total world record of 335kg.
Hubbard's victory at the Rome World Cup was won with a total lift of 270. However, none of the five athletes ranked between Li (No. 1) and Hubbard (No. 7) will be competing at this weight in Tokyo; Sarah Robles of the United States, who was tied for No. 7, and the other two lifters in the top 10 will challenge Hubbard for a spot on the podium.
The women's 87+kg lifts will take place on Aug. 2.
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