08/02/2021 13:00
Clarín.com
sports
Updated 08/02/2021 13:00
The participation of
Laurel Hubbard
, a transgender weightlifter from New Zealand, marked a
historic moment
at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Her participation will paradoxically not go down in history
after failing all three of her attempts in the + category qualifiers. 87 kilos, but what it did leave behind was a heated debate about one of the most controversial topics in sport.
Hubbard, 43, was born male and competed in the men's categories before beginning a transition process to become a woman in her 30s.
And it became eligible for women after meeting the International Olympic Committee (IOC) criteria for transgender athletes.
The IOC celebrated her participation in the Games as a transgender woman.
"Laurel Hubbard is a woman and she competes under the rules of her Federation. We must pay tribute to her courage and tenacity,"
IOC Medical Director Richard Budgett told reporters in Tokyo. However,
her presence in Tokyo caused a complex debate on issues of bioethics, human rights, science, equity and identity in sport
.
Laurel Hubbard could not make it through the tie in the +87 category.
Photo: AP
People who support Hubbard believe that qualifying for the Games represents a
victory for inclusion and transgender rights, but
others see that he has
an unfair advantage
over his female rivals due to physical abilities inherited from decades ago when competing. as a man.
The debate on this topic is intense and at times passionate, especially on the internet, prompting the New Zealand Olympic Committee
to take steps to protect Hubbard from social media trolls
.
However, the IOC acknowledges that Hubbard's presence raises some legitimate questions as to whether Hubbard has, in the jargon used by the agency on these matters, a
"disproportionate competitive advantage
.
"
Some advocates of women's sport, including former tennis champion Martina Navratilova,
expressed reservations
because they believe that the inclusion of transgender athletes risks questioning victories won with effort to improve the status of women's sport.
New Zealander Laurel Hubbard was the first transgender athlete at the Olympics.
Photo: EFE
"I am happy to address a transgender person the way they want, but I would not like to have to compete against them.
It would not be fair,
" said the Czech, a veteran gay rights activist.
For Caitlyn Jenner, a men's decathlon Olympic champion at the 1976 Montreal Games who became a woman in 2015,
"it's just not fair
.
"
Opponents also fear that the participation of transgender women could endanger the safety of other competitors in contact sports, prompting World Rugby to exclude them from all competitions last year.
To justify its decision, World Rugby cited scientific studies showing that men had 30% more physical strength compared to women.
However, some national federations, such as New Zealand's rugby federation, decided instead to allow transgender women to participate at the amateur level.
Hubbard, in action, at the International Forum in Tokyo.
Photo: REUTERS / Chris Graythen
The voice of science
Among other benefits, Alison Heather, a physiologist at the University of Otago interviewed by the agency France Presse, cites longer limbs for men, greater muscle mass, a larger heart and greater lung capacity, which allows better oxygen circulation and a greater resistance.
But for Budgett, the IOC's chief scientific and medical officer, comparing men and women is not so simple, and transgender women may experience a decline in performance as they go through a transition process.
Most importantly, she feels more research is needed, adding: "I considered that there have not been any openly transgender women at the highest level so far (and) I think the risk to women's sport has probably been overestimated."
Laurel Hubbard greets with joy after her participation in Tokyo 2020. Photo: EFE / Miguel Gutiérrez
The IOC recognizes that the new framework, which provides simple guidelines for International Federations rather than strict rules, is not the last word on this issue, which will continue to be debated for a long time to come.
"There has to be a fair way to get what we need, and whatever that balance is, some are likely to criticize it. It will not be the ultimate solution," said IOC spokesman Christian Klaue.
Hubbard grateful
Hubbard thanked the IOC on Monday for
"demonstrating the principle that sport is inclusiveness and is for everyone
.
"
"I know perfectly well that my participation is controversial, but I thank the IOC for having demonstrated the principle that sport is inclusion and is for everyone," said Hubbard.
Born Gavin, Hubbard, applauded as she entered the track, was eliminated because she was unable to lift the weight set in any of her three attempts in the 87-kilogram category.
Hubbard, the first transgender athlete to participate in the Commonwealth Games in the 2018 edition in Gold Coast, Australia,
failed first when trying to lift 120 kilograms and in the next two 125 kilograms.
Challenge completed, beyond not being able to advance in Tokyo 2020. Photo: AFP
"I respect her, but I reiterate my position: it is a joke in bad taste", said the Belgian Anna Vanbellinghen, one of those who opposes the participation of Hubbard, who placed a hand on her heart after finishing tenth in the Tokyo test 2020-
"We must think that behind these technical and sporting issues there is a person," they
stressed from the New Zealand delegation, which emphatically supported Hubbard before the start of the Olympic Games.
Sources: AFP and ANSA
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