Laurel Hubbard's elbow surgery has been a success but she is likely to wait until at least October before deciding her weightlifting future.
Hubbard ruptured ligaments in her left elbow at last month's Gold Coast Commonwealth Games when she attempted a snatch of 132kg in the women's 90kg-plus class.
Asuccessful lift would have broken her Commonwealth record by 1kg. Instead, the agonising result triggered her departure from the competition.
Olympic Weightlifting New Zealand high performance director Simon Kent confirmed Hubbard must now rehabilitate for what's expected to be six to nine months before seeing what effect the injury and subsequent surgery has on her career.
The 40-year-old transgender athlete cleared her first attempt of 120kg at the Games, but failed with her second at 127kg. Seventeen-year-old Samoan Feagaiga Stowers eventually took the title.
Hubbard spoke to Kiwi fans who gathered at New Zealand house — aka the QT Hotel — the day after competition.
She deadpanned that the medical team had diagnosed her arm as "busted", which drew wry laughter from the audience.
"It looks like it will be a career-ending injury, which is a real shame, but I'm glad I've gone out trying to achieve my best on the platform because, as the [New Zealand team] slogan says, 'you have to earn the fern'."
