Tokyo 2020: inclusive or unfair? Transgender weightlifting stirs controversy

The 43-year-old was born male and competed in the men’s categories before beginning the transition to becoming a woman in her 30s.

It became a female selectable after meeting the International Olympic Committee (IOC) criteria for transgender athletes.

Her Olympic qualification makes her the first transgender woman to compete in this global event, according to the report. This is itInternational Olympic Committeewhich hailed a historic moment for the Olympic movement.

Laurel Hubbard is a woman and competes according to the rules of her union. We must commend his courage and perseveranceIOC medical director Richard Budgett told reporters in Tokyo.

However, her presence in Tokyo in the women’s over 87kg category sparked a complex debate about issues of bioethics, human rights, science, equity and identity in sport.

Hubbard’s supporters believe that qualifying for the Olympics represents a victory for inclusivity and transgender rights.

But others see her as having an unfair advantage over her rivals due to physical abilities inherited from decades as a man.

Putting women’s sports into question

Controversy on this topic is heated and at times heated, especially on the Internet, which has led the New Zealand Olympic Committee to take action to protect Hubbard from social media trolls.

the This is itInternational Olympic Committee He acknowledges, however, that Hubbard’s presence raises legitimate questions about whether the athlete – in the terms the Forum uses in these matters – Disproportionate competitive advantage.

Some advocates of women’s sports, including former tennis champion Martina Navratilova, have expressed reservations because they believe the inclusion of transgender athletes risks discrediting the hard-earned victories to improve the status of women’s sport.

I am happy to address a transgender person the way they want to, but I don’t want to compete against them. That wouldn’t be fair, said the Czech, an early activist for gay rights.

For Caitlyn Jenner, the Olympic decathlon champion at the 1976 Montreal Games who became a woman in 2015, this is not fair.

Opponents also fear that the participation of transgender women could jeopardize the safety of other contact sports competitors, prompting the International Rugby Union to exclude them from all competitions last year.

But, as evidence of the disagreement on this issue, some national federations, such as New Zealand Rugby, have decided for their part to allow the participation of transgender women at the amateur level.

To justify its decision, World Rugby cited scientific studies showing that men have 30% more physical strength than women.

Among other benefits, University of Otago physiologist Alison Heather cites in an AFP interview, men’s longer limbs, larger muscle mass, larger heart and lung capacity, which allows for better oxygen circulation and increased endurance.

But for Richard Budget, it’s not easy to compare men and women, and transgender women can experience a decline in performance as they go through the transition process.

lack of data

Above all, he believes more research is needed, and adds: Keep in mind that there have been no transgender women at the highest level yet [et] I think the risks to women’s sports may have been overestimated.

The IOC understands that the new framework – which provides simple guidelines for international federations rather than strict rules – is not the last word on this topic, which will go on for a long time.

There must be a happy way to get what we need, and whatever that balance may be, some will likely criticize it. It will not be the final solution International Olympic Committee spokesman Christian Clau said.