New Zealand Weightlifter Will Be The First Openly Trans Competitor At The Olympics
New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard celebrates completing a lift at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia. Hubbard has been named to New Zealand's team at the Tokyo Olympics, making her the first openly transgender competitor at the Olympics. Dan Mullan/Getty Images hide caption
New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard celebrates completing a lift at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia. Hubbard has been named to New Zealand's team at the Tokyo Olympics, making her the first openly transgender competitor at the Olympics.
New Zealand has named Laurel Hubbard to its women's weightlifting roster for the upcoming Olympics in Tokyo, making her the first openly transgender athlete to compete in the games.
"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 on Monday. "When I broke my arm at the Commonwealth Games three years ago, I was advised that my sporting career had likely reached its end. But your support, your encouragement, and your aroha [love] carried me through the darkness."
