Laurel Hubbard is calling for people to keep an "open mind" about her participation in high level competitions as a female weightlifter.

This week the transgender athlete claimed two silver medals at the World Championships in California, the first New Zealand competitor to stand on the podium at that elite level.

But her success provoked some controversy, with several coaches from competing nations questioning the right of the transgender athlete to be in the competition, while social media users in New Zealand were also divided in their views.

But the 39-year-old Hubbard, who lived as a man for 35 years, hopes people will take a balanced view of what she admits is a complicated subject.

"I would say to those people it's a complex question," Hubbard told the Herald, when asked what she would say to those questioning her right to compete as a female.

"Obviously the policies put forward by the IOC and other organisations are evolving and perhaps they may change after I have competed.

"But I would ask people to keep an open mind and perhaps look to the fact that I didn't win, as evidence that any advantage I may hold is not as great as they may think."

Hubbard didn't do any interviews at the World Championships — and also maintained her silence in the lead up to the event — but finally broke her silence today.

While saying she was proud of her achievements, she admitted that the negative reaction to her presence had been difficult.

"I'm not going to say it wasn't hard," said Hubbard. "You would have to be a robot to not be affected by some of that and what people were saying. But I can't control what other people think, what they feel, what they believe and I'm not going to try. It's not my job to tell them what to think, what to feel or what to believe."

Hubbard added that she planned to continue working towards her goal of competing at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, despite the fact that her participation has been a polarizing topic across the country.

Hubbard flew in from the United States today, and will head home to Queenstown this evening.