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Laurel Hubbard's path to Tokyo Olympics not 'a done deal' just yet

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 6 May 2021, 8:19PM
Laurel Hubbard. (Photo / Getty)
Laurel Hubbard. (Photo / Getty)

Laurel Hubbard's path to Tokyo Olympics not 'a done deal' just yet

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 6 May 2021, 8:19PM

Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard's entry to the Tokyo Olympics is not a done deal yet. 

The Inside The Games website reports the 43-year-old's effectively guaranteed a spot in the women's super-heavyweight category.

She would be the oldest lifter at the Games, but is currently ranked fourth out of the 14 qualifiers.

That would make her the first open transgender competitor at an Olympics.

The IOC's most recent rules allow athletes to compete as women - regardless of muscle memory - provided their testosterone levels are below 10 nanomoles per litre for 12 months.

However, High Performance Director of Olympic Weightlifting for New Zealand Simon Kent told Heather du Plessis-Allan that reports that Hubbard's entry isn't signed off just yet.

"The qualification process is still ongoing, it doesn't technically end until [May 31st]."

He says that Hubbard currently meets the IOC criteria. 

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