Laurel Hubbard

Laurel Hubbard (born 1978) is a New Zealand transgender weightlifter.[1]

Laurel Hubbard
Personal information
NationalityNew Zealand
Born1978 (age 41–42)
Years active1998–2018
Sport
CountryNew Zealand
SportWeightlifting
Medal record
World Championships
2017 Anaheim+90 kg
Pacific Games
2019 Apia+87 kg

Career

Hubbard is the child of Dick Hubbard, a former Mayor of Auckland City[2] and the founder of Hubbard Foods.

Competing before her gender transition under the name Gavin Hubbard, Hubbard set New Zealand junior records in 1998 in the newly established M105+ division with snatch 135 kg, clean & jerk 170 kg, total 300 kg.[3] Those records were later surpassed by David Liti.[4]

In 2012 Hubbard was appointed to the position of Executive Officer for Olympic Weightlifting New Zealand. Subsequently she transitioned to female and became Laurel Hubbard.[5]

At the 2017 Australian International & Australian Open in Melbourne, she competed at the heaviest 90 kg+ category, winning the gold medal with a 123 kg snatch and 145 kg clean & jerk, for a total of 268 kg at a bodyweight of 131.83 kg.[6][7] She thus became the first trans woman to win an international weightlifting title for New Zealand.[5][8] Although Hubbard met eligibility requirements to compete, her win sparked controversy, with some other competitors claiming the competition was unfair.[2][8][9] Athletes that were critical of the decision to allow Hubbard to compete include Iuniarra Sipaia,[9] Toafitu Perive,[9] Deborah Acason[8] and Tracey Lambrechs.[8] Australian Weightlifting Federation's chief executive, Michael Keelan, said it was unfair to other competitors.[7]

Hubbard qualified for the 2018 Commonwealth Games,[10] but an elbow injury during the competition forced her withdrawal from the event[11] while leading the field.[12]

Hubbard won two gold medals at the 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa.[13] The decision to allow Hubbard to compete was subsequently criticised by the Samoa 2019 chairman, Loau Solamalemalo Keneti Sio, and Samoa's Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi.[14][15]

In 2020 she won the gold medal in the women's +87 kg event at the Roma 2020 World Cup in Rome, Italy.[16]

Major results
Year Venue Weight Snatch (kg) Clean & Jerk (kg) Total Rank
1 2 3 Rank 1 2 3 Rank
World Championships
2019 Pattaya, Thailand[17]+87 kg120125131414515015482856
2017 Anaheim, United States[18]+90 kg1201241271441471514275
Commonwealth Games
2018 Gold Coast, Australia[19]+90 kg1201271321---------------DNF
Oceania Championships
2019 Apia, Samoa[20]+87 kg11211812511331431481268
2017 Gold Coast, Australia[18]+90 kg12012713311401461521273
Commonwealth Championships
2019 Apia, Samoa[20]+87 kg11211812511331431481268
2017 Gold Coast, Australia[18]+90 kg12012713311401461521273
Pacific Games
2019 Apia, Samoa[20]+87 kg112118125133143148268
Arafura Games
2019 Darwin, Australia[21]+87 kg110110110------------------DNF
World Masters Games
2017 Auckland, New Zealand[22]+90 kg12012713111351431491280

Personal life

In January 2019, Hubbard pleaded guilty to careless driving causing injury after an incident in October 2018 which left another driver with severe spinal injuries. She paid reparations and was disqualified from driving for one month. The presiding judge also ordered that Hubbard's name be suppressed to avoid distressing publicity as she trained for the Olympics. However, the order was lifted in July 2019 after Stuff appealed to the High Court.[23]

References
  1. "Commonwealth Games: Transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard set to compete". BBC Sport. 8 April 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  2. "'She has every right to compete with women': Transgender weightlifter sparks criticism after competition win". Yahoo News Australia. 20 March 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  3. "New Zealand Interschool's Weightlifting Championship 2014 – Round 6" (PDF). Sporty.co.nz. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  4. "National Records – Olympic Weightlifting New Zealand". 27 November 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  5. "Weightlifting: Transgender lifter Laurel Hubbard wins first international outing". The New Zealand Herald. 19 March 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  6. "2017 Australian International & Australian Open" (PDF). Awf.com.au. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  7. Windley, Matt (19 March 2017). "Laurel Hubbard wins female 90kg+ division at weightlifting's Australian International". Herald Sun. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  8. Payne, Marissa (22 March 2017). "Transgender woman wins international weightlifting title amid controversy over fairness". The Washington Post. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  9. "Woman lifter beaten by transgender speaks up". Samoaobserver.ws. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  10. "Laurel Hubbard - New Zealand Olympic Team". 24 November 2017.
  11. Tunnicliffe, Bridget (9 April 2018). "Hubbard has no regrets, stays 'true to sport'". Radio New Zealand.
  12. Helen Davidson (1 January 1970). "Transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard's eligibility under scrutiny | Sport". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  13. "Transgender weightlifter Hubbard beats home favourites at Samoa 2019 after driving incident revealed". Inside the Games. 13 July 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  14. "Samoa 2019 chairman enters debate over Hubbard participation at Pacific Games". www.insidethegames.biz. 16 July 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  15. "Samoan PM Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi hits out at Laurel Hubbard". Stuff. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  16. "2020 Roma World Cup" (PDF). Federazione Italiana Pesistica. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 May 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  17. "2019 World Weightlifting Championship Results Book" (PDF). International Weightlifting Federation. IWF. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  18. "HUBBARD Laurel NZL". Athletes search results. IWF – International Weightlifting Federation. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  19. "Commonwealth Games Results Book" (PDF). Gold Coast 2018 Official Website. GOLDOC. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  20. "2019 Pacific Games, Oceania & Commonwealth Championships Results Book" (PDF). Oceania Weightlifting Federation Website. IWF. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  21. "Arafura Games Results Book" (PDF). Arafura Games 2019 Official Website. AGOC. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  22. "2017 World Masters Games" (PDF). IWF – Masters Weightlifting. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  23. van Beynen, Martin (12 July 2019). "Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard's dogged fight to keep her name out of the media". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
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