In some bloody excellent news to kick off the week, trans athlete Laurel Hubbard has been selected to compete on behalf of New Zealand in weightlifting at the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games. Can I get a resounding fuck yes?
Friends, gather round, because this is a big fkn moment in the history of the Olympics. Thanks to the announcement of Hubbard competing on team New Zealand, this means that she will now become the first openly transgender athlete to compete. I for one am super pumped to see some trans representation on the screen.
Not only will Hubbard be the first trans athlete to compete, but she’ll also be the oldest weightlifter ever, proving that there are absolutely no age limits on the crazy shit that the human body can do. I mean, have you seen those weights? That sure doesn’t look easy.
“I am grateful and humbled by the kindness and support that has been given to me by so many New Zealanders,” Hubbard said in a statement about her selection.
“When I broke my arm at the Commonwealth Games three years ago, I was advised that my sporting career had likely reached its end.
“The last eighteen months have shown us all that there is strength in kinship, in community, and in working together towards a common purpose.”
In 2017, Hubbard won silver at the World Championships, and followed that up with a gold win at the 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa. So yeah, she’s proven she has what it takes to take home the big prize at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Fk it, I know who I’m rooting for.
Hubbard meets all of the requirements necessary under the International Olympic Committee’s regulations set out for trans athletes and competitive fairness, and has actually met these criteria since 2015, meaning this selection has been a long time coming.
The New Zealand government has also made it clear that they back Hubbard’s inclusion into the Olympics 100%, despite the usual fked up comments from naysayers and ex-athletes who simply wish they were killing it on an Olympic level.
Congratu-fucking-lations to Laurel Hubbard, keen to see you bring home gold (to New Zealand, but alas, they’re our neighbours so it’s a win for us too).
