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Original poster

Laurel Hubbard is the beginning of the end of women’s sports

135 replies

steakandcheeseplease · 22/06/2021 13:05

Not sure if another thread has been started on this. This really is the end. I spent ten years being a sports coach to children. I know males and females bodies are physically different and behave different in sport. This is an absolute tragedy for our young aspiring female athletes. A mediocre male weightlifter rising to the top of the womens ranks purely because of his physiology. Stealing a place that is rightly a females. This is my actual WTF moment.

[https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/laurel-hubbard-is-the-beginning-of-the-end-of-women-s-sports]

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ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 22/06/2021 13:33

boysvswomen.com/#/ is a good website to look at visualisations of how elite female athletes compare to high school boys across various sports.

Onthetrain75 · 22/06/2021 13:30

There was a really good article in The Times today setting out all the physiological differences between men and women, and how just looking at hormone levels at a certain point doesn't give athletes a level playing field. It was really interesting.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 22/06/2021 13:30

@corlan

I'm hoping the publicity from this will help bring about a change to stop this happening.
This^

As TW become more visible in women's sports the more people will realise how unfair it is.

OhHolyJesus · 22/06/2021 13:25

I think this began some time ago really, with Caster Semenya as the end of women's sports was certainly evident if you look at the podium placement at the 2016 800m. Here is why.

"The public can see as well."

By competing in the female category Semenya laid the ground work for Hubbard, and Hubbard will not be the only one at Tokyo in the end, I feel certain.

In a way this is useful to those who have been arguing for years that the female category in sport is at risk. It does feel that the news of Hubbard's win and Kuinini Manumua's loss is spreading.

I always think of Katharine Switzer back in 1967 being pulled at and kettled at the Boston Marathon and how it took 49 short years to totally annihilate what she fought for.

corlan · 22/06/2021 13:24

I'm hoping the publicity from this will help bring about a change to stop this happening.

EmpressWitchDoesntBurn · 22/06/2021 13:23

Hopefully Hubbard will win & that will make the unfairness visible to a much wider audience.

purpleboy · 22/06/2021 13:21

It's disgraceful isn't it. I'm so sad for the women who have missed out on a place, I really hope someone speaks up soon.

Notthemessiah · 22/06/2021 13:19

@timeisnotaline

The other weightlifters would be risking their entire career to do that. Many people don’t get a second shot at the Olympics. Of course, someone didn’t get a first shot thanks to Laurel. Megan signal owns a gym. Her business could be destroyed in the backlash. I wish past successful athletes who’ve had their shot would speak up and help normalise saying this is not ok.
Exactly - it is the athletes who have retired and who have already had their chance that should be saying something (and not letting the twitter mob shout them down). They have far less to lose.
timeisnotaline · 22/06/2021 13:15

The other weightlifters would be risking their entire career to do that. Many people don’t get a second shot at the Olympics. Of course, someone didn’t get a first shot thanks to Laurel. Megan signal owns a gym. Her business could be destroyed in the backlash. I wish past successful athletes who’ve had their shot would speak up and help normalise saying this is not ok.

underneaththeash · 22/06/2021 13:10

The other weightlifters in the competition should just refuse to compete with her.
Completely unfair.