Hubbard will compete in the super-heavyweight 87+kg category, with qualifying requirements in May making her selection possible.
The 43 year old had competed in multiple men’s weightlifting competitions before declaring himself a woman in 2013.
“I am grateful and humbled by the kindness and support that has been given to me by so many New Zealanders,” Hubbard said in a statement issued by the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) on Monday.
NZOC chief Kereyn Smith said it was an “historic moment in sport and for the New Zealand team.”
“She is our first Olympian who has transitioned from male to female,” she said.
“We do know that there are many questions about fairness of transgender athletes competing in the Olympic Games but I would like to take this opportunity to remind us all that Laurel has met all of the required criteria.”
"Laurel Hubbard stole the place of Kuinini Manumua, a 21-year-old woman of color who had trained for years. This would have been her first Olympics. Remember her name," writes @bindeljhttps://t.co/QiuTdIHbNS
— The Spectator World (@TheSpectator) June 21, 2021
In a story from Breitbart, Hubbard’s selection reportedly resulted in an actual woman being displaced from the competition. The athlete in question is Kuinini ‘Nini’ Manumua, a 21 year old female powerlifter from the country of Tonga.
