Tokyo Olympics: Transgender Weightlifter Crashes Out After Making Historic Appearance

Transgender athlete Laurel Hubbard made Olympic history but failed to record a successful lift in the women’s +87kg weightlifting.

She became the first openly transgender athlete to compete at a Games in a different gender category to the one in which they were born.

But after a failed attempt to lift 120kg and two failed efforts at 125kg in the snatch, her competition ended.

Team GB‘s Emily Campbell won silver, with gold going to China‘s Li Wenwen.

Campbell became the first British woman to win an Olympic weightlifting medal with her combined total of 283kg.

China’s Li lifted an Olympic record of 320kg to take the title, with American Sarah Robles claiming bronze with 282kg.

Hubbard said:

“I know that from a sporting perspective I haven’t really hit the standards that I put upon myself and perhaps the standards that my country has expected of me.

“But one of the things for which I am profoundly grateful is that the supporters in New Zealand have given me so much and have been beyond astonishing.

“I’d like to thank the New Zealand Olympic Committee – they have supported me through what have been quite difficult times.

“I know that my participation at these Games has not been entirely without controversy but they have been just so wonderful and I’m so grateful to them.”