New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard has become the first transgender athlete to be named to an Olympic team, marking a turning point for transgender athletes fighting for the right to compete.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern defended her country's selection of weightlifter Laurel Hubbard for the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday, a decision that has sparked a debate about sport's inclusivity and fairness in sport.
On Monday, the 43-year-old Auckland native was chosen as one of five weightlifters for New Zealand's Olympic team.
The announcement also sparked debate on the fairness and equality of transgender athletes competing against non-transgender females, a topic that has caused Hubbard to face criticism over the years.
In 2015, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) changed the rules to enable transgender athletes to compete in the Olympics as women if their testosterone levels are below a certain level.
Hubbard began transitioning in 2013, after previously participating as a man, and she has continuously met all of the IOC's transgender athlete eligibility requirements. As the oldest weightlifter at the Tokyo Olympics, she will compete in the 87-kilogram-plus category.