Dylan Bettencourt
Laurel Hubbard made Olympic history when she became the first transgender woman athlete to compete at the Olympic games when she took to the stage in the women’s 87kg super-heavyweight category on Monday.
Her debut ended when she failed on two occasions to get the bar above her head and the third attempt being ruled invalid for a lack of control.
She thanked the organisations involved in the Olympics for their support.
“I know that my participation in these Games has not been entirely without controversy. But they’ve been just so wonderful. I’m so grateful to them all,” said the emotional 43-year-old from New Zealand.
“They’ve demonstrated that sport is something all people can do. It’s inclusive, it’s accessible, and I think that’s fabulous.”
Hubbard, who was born male but began identifying as a woman in 2013 found herself as the topic of many controversial conversations regarding her participation in Tokyo.
She said she let herself down with a less than impressive performance but that she was grateful for all the love and support she received during the games.
Image source: @NPR
