Olympics Feel Clap-Back over Hubbard’s Inclusion
Nearly a month later, and sports fans across the world are up in arms about the Laurel Hubbard situation. Who’s Laurel Hubbard? You may be wondering. She is the first ever trans-gender athlete to be given a go ahead to compete at the Olympic Games.
This inclusion has sparked plenty of questions within the sporting community. First, was the unfair advantage within the weightlifting discipline (which Hubbard, who before has competed as a man, will now be competing as a woman), with fellow competitors voicing their opinions explicitly.
Among those who have been unconvinced by Hubbard’s selection was Beth Steltzer, the president of Save Women’s Sport. Steltzer voiced her concerns over what Hubbard’s inclusion would mean for women’s sport going forward.
This backlash, however, has come despite the fact that Hubbard met the requirements listed by the Olympic committee. She has identified as a woman for four years, and has produced a serum testosterone level of less than 10 nanomoles for over a period of 12 months. These are the standard requirements for all women athletes within the weightlifting category.
The Trans community is one that has faced much disdain and overall criticism, but Hubbard’s acceptance into the Olympic Games to compete as a woman is a massive win for trans people, boosting inclusivity and representation. However, not all are convinced.
Many can’t get over the fact that Caster Semenya, a runner from South Africa, who faces being excluded from the Tokyo Olympics all together, didn’t get the same cushy treatment that was received by Hubbard.
Semenya was assigned female at birth, but was born with what are known as “ambiguous genitalia”. What this essentially means is that she falls into the category of intersex, a predisposition which entails certain people sharing certain physical traits of both men and women.
Semenya is a national hero in South Africa, and Africa as a whole. She is always a top competitor in her signature races (the 400m, and 800m), and is generally the favourite amongst land based betting shops and online betting outlets in South Africa.
One of the biggest issues surrounding Semenya’s situation was her body’s ability to naturally produce heightened levels of testosterone. A big point of contention within the Trans community as well as Semenya’s sympathisers. This fact led to large debate surrounding whether or not sport is level playing field at all, as men with naturally heightened testosterone levels receive praise for their performances, as well as men and women with other genetically enhancing conditions. Many ask the question: “why is it different with Caster?”
One can see why the inclusion of Hubbard at the Olympics has brought up a lot of sensitive, raw topics of disagreement amongst people in South Africa, and throughout the world.
What’s clear from all of this, is that the OIympics need to work hard to create a framework that they make known to everyone, so that people are made aware of the requirements, and have better chances of reaching them. The Olympic committee’s treatment of Hubbard feels preferential compared to their treatment of Semenya, leading to plenty of questions surrounding the institution’s moral compass.
This story is sponsored by Trano
