A transgender weightlifter going for gold at this year’s Tokyo Olympics has been accused of having an unfair advantage.
Laurel Hubbard, 42, was born Gavin and competed as a man before transitioning seven years ago.
She now takes part in women’s super-heavyweight weightlifting – and her gold medal at the Pacific Games in Samoa last year triggered outrage in the island nation.
Aussie Olympian Tamsyn Lewis said women need to “take a stand” over transgender athletes in their sports.
The track and field star, 41, said: “People are scared to say anything because of political correctness. If you’ve grown up male and had testosterone, bone structure is different.
“Upper body strength is going to remain, you’ve got greater lung capacity, a larger heart.”
And GMB presenter Piers Morgan, 54, said: “Women’s rights to basic fairness and equality are getting destroyed at the altar of political correctness.”
But one of his Twitter followers hit back: “Stop being transphobic.”
New Zealander Laurel, who takes part in the women’s +87kg division in the Australian Open on Saturday, can lift in women’s events under International Weightlifting Federation rules.
International Olympic Committee rules from 2015 also let transgender athletes lift as women if certain testosterone levels are met.
World records in Olympic weightlifting are judged on the snatch lift combined with a clean and jerk lift at each weight class, with the two combined to give a total.
The 332kg record in the women’s +87kg class is held by Li Wenwen of China.
In the men’s equivalent class, the record of 396kg is held by Iran’s Kianoush Rostami.
Simon Kent, of Olympic Weightlifting New Zealand, said: “We follow IOC protocols. Laurel meets them.”
