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[AOL] Laurel Hubbard, a transgender weightlifter from New Zealand, was knocked out of the women’s 87+ kilogram competition early after failing on all three of her attempts.Hubbard failed on her first attempt to get 120-kg above her head, bailing out early. On her second attempt at 125kg, she was able to get the weight up and pumped her fist after in satisfaction, however judges ruled it a "no lift."
She returned quickly for another attempt at 125kg only to fail to be able to stand up with the weight above her head. Hubbard was the only one of the 13 finalists to not complete at least one lift.
After the bar fell to the ground, she patted her chest and made a heart out of her hands as a signal to those in attendance and, presumably, anyone watching around the world.
Hubbard has generated enormous attention in the run-up to the 87+kg finals. Her presence has sparked debates about whether transgender athletes should be included, and by what standards, in the Olympics against concerns about what is fair to the other competitors.
In the middle is limited scientific research concerning the advantages for the transgender athletes, especially those who didn’t transition until after they went through puberty as a male.
The International Olympic Committee has said it will unveil a new framework on the issue soon, calling its current policy "outdated."
In the interim, Hubbard took the stage here inside a theatre in central Tokyo, where no fans but plenty of media from around the world were there to watch.
What advantages Hubbard had were impossible to know, especially in lieu of her performance.
She stood out on age alone, though; at 43 she was by far the oldest of the 13 finalists. American Sarah Elizabeth Robels was 33 but everyone else was in their 20s, including six competitors aged 21 or younger.
The IOC is still wrestling with the issue. Its guidance will determine the standards applied by many individual sports federations, such as, in this case, the International Weightlifting Federation.
"What's really important to remember is that trans women are women," said Richard Budgett, director of the IOC’s medical and scientific department. "And so, in the spirit of inclusion in sport, if at all possible, they should be included in sport.
"It's only where there's evidence of real concern — that that would lead to a disproportionate performance advantage for those individuals — should any rules and regulations come in to change that eligibility," Budgett said. "The IOC is determined to increase inclusion in sport as one of the fundamentals, but at the same time our highest, highest priority is fairness."