New Zealands Laurel Hubbard, the first transgender Olympian, smiles to the small crowd after failing to advance in the womens 87kg weightlifting final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
New Zealand's Laurel Hubbard made history on Monday inside the Tokyo International Forum, where she became the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Olympics.
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At 43, Hubbard was the oldest competitor in the weightlifting field. She recorded three no lifts attempting the snatch in the women's +87 kg final and was eliminated from the competition with a DNF (Did Not Finish) prior to the clean and jerk.
Hubbard was born male and competed in weightlifting at junior level. She transitioned eight years ago, resumed weightlifting and became eligible for the Games under a 2015 International Olympic Committee (IOC) consensus allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's events.
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"I'm not entirely unaware of the controversy which surrounds my participation at these Games," Hubbard told reporters in Tokyo. "And as such, I would particularly like to thank the IOC, for I think really affirming its commitment to the principles of Olympism and establishing that sport is something for all people, that it is inclusive and is accessible."
Quinn, who plays for Canada's women's soccer team, earlier these Games became the first transgender non-binary competitor in Olympics history. They have already secured themselves a medal -- either gold or silver -- as Canada is set to face Sweden in the gold medal match Aug. 5 at 10:00 p.m. ET.
Reuters contributed to this report
