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Home / Sport / Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth Games: Laurel Hubbard gives Games a chance to prove their mantra

Andrew Alderson
By Andrew Alderson
Reporter·NZ Herald·
9 Apr, 2018 02:30 AM3 mins to read

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Laurel Hubbard will compete in the women's 90kg+ weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games. Photo / Getty Images
Laurel Hubbard will compete in the women's 90kg+ weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games. Photo / Getty Images

Laurel Hubbard will compete in the women's 90kg+ weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games. Photo / Getty Images

The Commonwealth Games movement faces a moment of truth this afternoon.

The decision to allow transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, formerly known as Gavin, to compete in the women's 90kg+ this afternoon has polarised opinion.

A further chapter is about to be added to the narrative.

This event is often referenced as "The Friendly Games", operating under the "humanity, equality, destiny" mantra.

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Hubbard's entry, amid a hub-bub of debate will be the ultimate test of athlete inclusivity and accessibility.

Lip service must be parked. Athletes, officials and fans' sense of fairness, justice and tolerance will be scrutinised when medals go on the line.

The 40-year-old's participation is a triumph for human rights and open opportunity, yet whether it is for the greater good of other competitors remains debatable.

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One school of thought has suggested the problem could be resolved if athletes were only allowed to compete in the gender of their birth.

Regardless, an indisputable decision has been made to give Hubbard the green light, regardless of any muscle memory or psychological advantage she developed as a male competitor.

Gripes will look sour.

Hubbard had to demonstrate her testosterone levels were below a certain threshold for 12 months before competing for New Zealand.

Discover more

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09 Apr 05:00 PM

Her combined entry weight of 260kg ranks her top with 17-year-old Samoan Feagaiga Stowers among the eight competitors. That presents a decent medal opportunity.

Regarding her transition from male to female, the International Weightlifting Federation has worked under the International Olympic Committee rules and Hubbard is eligible within those. Does that shift offer a mental edge?

That argument was presented by Australian Weightlifting Federation chief executive Michael Keelan when Hubbard was selected.

Keelan told AAP it would create an "uneven playing field".

"We're in a power sport which is normally related to masculine tendencies... where you've got that aggression, you've got the right hormones, then you can lift bigger weights.

"If you've been a male and you've lifted certain weights and then you suddenly transition to a female, psychologically you know you've lifted those weights before."

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Rival athletes complained Hubbard had an unfair advantage after she won the Australian Open this year, lifting 123kg in the snatch and 145kg in the clean and jerk.

Those comments were reinforced by Samoan coach Jerry Wallwork yesterday.

"It's just very unfair," he 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.

"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."

Despite Wallwork's angst, no official protest will stop Hubbard.

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