Commonwealth Games: Dick Quax takes aim at transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard

New Zealand transgender athlete Laurel Hubbard competing in weightlifting W35-39 (+90) class at AUT Millennium. Hubbard won a gold medal. Photo / Doug Sherring

Former New Zealand runner Dick Quax has added to an outcry from female weightlifters regarding the inclusion of Kiwi transgender athlete Laurel Hubbard in the Commonwealth Games.

Hubbard will comete in the women's 90kg+ weightlifting event on Monday afternoon, however Quax - a silver medallist in the men's 1500m in 1970 - said he would not be tuning in.

"I definitely will not be watching the womans weightlifting from the Comm Games this afternoon which I consider fraudulent due to the inclusion of Laurel Hubbard," he said on Twitter.

Quax joins some of Hubbard's rivals in speaking out aginst her inclusion.

The Kiwi, who is favoured to win gold this afternoon in the women's over 90kg category, has been a hot topic for some in the weightlifting community, and Samoan coach of one of her rivals has voiced his displeasure that Hubbard is allowed to compete.

"It's just very unfair," Jerry Wallwork told the ABC.

"A man is a man and a woman is a woman and I know a lot of changes have gone through, but in the past Laurel Hubbard used to be a male champion weightlifter," he said.

"The strength is still there and I think it's very unfair, and for all females it's unfair. The situation may have been accepted by the IOC, but that won't stop us from protesting, regardless of whether it's against one of our lifters or not."

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However, despite Wallwork's verbal protest, there is not going to be an official protest which stops Hubbard from competing.

The Herald understands that there have been no protests filed by any of the organisations involved at the Games, and the Secretary General of the Oceania Weightlifting Institute also said that, despite Wallwork's comments, there will be no protest coming from their camp.

"She's done everything according to the IOC rules and she's proven that she's a woman," Paul Coffa told the ABC.

"You can't stop criticism, but I see it differently, she's done what she's required to do, so give her a chance and let her continue."

Hubbard will get that chance tomorrow, with her final beginning at 4.00pm.