The three medalists in the women’s +87kg weightlifting competition at the Tokyo Olympics gave a most telling reaction when asked about the “historic” participation of transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, a biological 43-year-old male who identifies as female.
“There was a historic night here, with Laurel Hubbard competing as the first openly transgender in an individual event,” the reporter told the women weightlifters. “I was wondering what you felt about that, and what took place in your sport.”
In reaction, there was a palpable eight-second silence from all three female competitors, gold medalist Li Wenwen of China, silver medalist Emily Campbell of Great Britain, and bronze medalist Sarah Robles of the United States.
After the pause, America’s Robles turned on her mic to simply reply, “No, thank you.”
WATCH:
As highlighted by The Daily Wire, Hubbard failed to move beyond the snatch lift at the competition:
In Hubbard’s first attempt, the weightlifter tried to lift 120kg and failed.
In the 43-year-old’s second attempt, Hubbard lifted a very shaky 125kg overhead. One of the female commentators noted that it was very surprising that the questionable 125kg lift wasn’t challenged with an appeal.
However, later, the jury ruled the try a “no lift,” according to ESPN.
On the third attempt, Hubbard could not lift the 125kg, bouncing the weightlifter from the competition.
That is “the end of Laurel Hubbard,” the announcer said, as Hubbard waved to the cameras and to those at the competition.
Hubbard formerly competed against male weightlifters before the athlete identified as a woman and was allowed access to female competitions. At 43 years old, Hubbard is far older than any of the Olympic female competitors.
Unsurprisingly, permitting biologically male transgender athletes to compete against biological women has been opposed by huge portions of the population.
Many female athletes and some famed feminists have spoken out against separating sports based on gender identity instead of biological sex, highlighting how females have lost out on opportunities because of the biological advantages males have over females, even males who are in post-trans hormone therapy, as a British Journal of Sports Medicine study suggests.
Professor Ross Tucker went on BBC airwaves Monday and bucked the mainstream narrative concerning biologically male trans athletes in women’s sports, explaining the advantages biological males have over women, irrespective of Hubbard’s Olympic outcome or even hormone therapy.
“The rules state that the athlete has to reduce their testosterone level,” the BBC presenter said of trans athletes. “In your view, Ross, is that enough to allow a trans woman to compete in an event like weightlifting?”
“The problem is that there’s an asymmetry where, once testosterone has done its job, and viewers will know what that job is — it’s basically the development of male characteristics which we see so prominently during puberty and adolescence, so we’re talking muscle, bone, decreased body fat, increased heart and lung size — all of which adds up to strength and performance advantages,” Tucker explained.
“Once those are laid down by testosterone’s effects you can’t undo them simply by lowering the testosterone level,” he said. “And there are now ample studies that have demonstrated this. And so, therefore, the conclusion is that even the suppression of testosterone, as is required, leaves behind a considerable residual advantage that then means it’s unfair to cross into the woman’s sport category.”
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Source: Dailywire
