AIBU to be surprised that Laurel Hubbard didn't register a lift in the Olympics?

[Gladiolixoxo]

I wonder if all the controversy around Laurel's participation led to her losing her nerve?

Pumperthepumper

I disagree. I think there would be very little value in watching sports where no world records have been beaten for decades yet the athletes were still being pushed to win a medal in a competition we’d seen hundreds of times before.

Jonathan Edwards – Triple Jump – 24 Years
Javier Sotomayor – High Jump – 26 Years
Mike Powell – Long Jump – 28 Years
Randy Barnes – Shot Putt – 29 Years
Galina Chistyakova – Long Jump – 31 Years
Florence Griffith Joyner – 100m – 31 Years
Stefka Kostadinova – High Jump – 32 Years
Sergey Bubka – Pole Vault – 32 Years
Jürgen Schult – Discuss – 33 Years
Yuriy Sedykh – Hammer – 33 Years
Jarmila Kratochvílová – 800m – 36 Years
Marita Koch – 400m – 36 years

But then if you love the sport you watch it for the technical nature of the event.

If you wanted to add categories to the Olympics focused on ever increasing records then you would have to open up a doped category alongside the current 'clean' Olympics. In the end it would be a bit like F1 where the athlete is the 'driver' but there are a team of scientists pushing the boundaries of what is physically possible. Right now with steroids and doping but in the future maybe using stem cells and genetic modification. I mean there would be huge ethical concerns but at least someone would get to watch records broken.

Some people want the female category to remain purely so it can be hijacked by males who want to be validated as women, or used as a retirement ground for them.

If you're willing to categorise based on leg or lung size, it's very hard to see what's so objectionable about categorising based on natal sex. It's binary, provable, differences between the classes are comprehensive and demonstrable, and you don't have to worry about where to create the cut offs to keep it fair.

Oh on this

Thought earlier

If you are really super excited and totally behind someone competing at the Olympics you are shouting them on to do well. Depending on who- hold up against the others/ get a medal / win!!!

3 attempts failed would be gutting.

You'd say things like. What happened? Such a shock. I can't believe it. So upset. They must be gutted etc.

All I've seen is hahaha in your face horrible women!!!

That's a very strange reaction surely :/

NiceGerbil

Yes, all I have seen from the trans lobby is things like
'so much for the physical advantage'
Its almost as if they know nothing about the science of the human body.

Of course they know everyone does. 99.99 % of people know.

That's not what it's about.

It's about ideology and at this point those who say ??? even mildly are essentially the same as Satan.

If it was about genuinely believing it. And feeling wow so amazing for LH to compete. Really brave. In the face of evil.

They would want a WIN wouldn't they. A medal. At least a good result. Not last. Etc.

The reaction I've seen is totally different to what is normal if you are massively supporting someone in a sport event.

It's happiness and glee. Ha! Take that bigots!

So... For at least those I've seen posting here/ Twitter. It wasn't about wanting the person they supported to do well in the event.

It was about sticking 2 fingers up at women.

So. Interesting.

Am I surprised?

No.

LH was 20 years older than the completion, in poor physical shape due to injury and as a result compensated with poor technique.

What's illuminating is that despite these serious constraints LH was still able to qualify.

If that doesn't provide enough evidence for the benefits male puberty and physiology bestows then watch the swimming mixed 4 x 100m race.

I'm honesty baffled why people say this is a complex issue.

It's not.

It's very simple.

If you have XY chromosomes and male gonads (whatever or however they develop or whatever modifications you choose to make to them, surgical or hormonal) then you compete as a male.

Every single male athlete at the Olympics (or any elite event) goes into competition knowing they are competing against their own sex.

Why do women athletes not have the same right?

Because the administrative bodies of elite sports have been captured for decades.

LH isn't the start.

We've had over a decade of men competing against women and rule appeasements that never figure in men's sport to allow this.

Elite athletes make tough choices every day about what they do with their body and the impact on their mental health.

They can't take certain medication (doping risk), train endlessly, eat a very restricted diet.

They don't comprise.

Yet Trans athletes expect compromise. Endless compromise.

Elite isn't about inclusion. It's the reverse.

It's about the very few people with the right body type for their specific sport who also have the mental strength to devote (the best) years of their life to a rigorous level of training and self discipline that impacts every facet of their being.

Not rocking up at 40 after a life of privileged wealth and mediocrity.

Little thing to mention (again!).

Current max T level is lower end of NORMAL for men.

Some will need no intervention.

DH has v low testosterone. Found out by accident. I suspect it's probably normal for him (no evidence just s feeling!).

Massive great broad bloke. Used to be good at rugby in one of the positions that mean just be huge like a wall. Everything functional. He's the ideal person if you need eg a wardrobe shifting upstairs etc.

He according to IOC is def just like s woman...!

@DeRigueurMortis

Am I surprised?

No.

LH was 20 years older than the completion, in poor physical shape due to injury and as a result compensated with poor technique.

What's illuminating is that despite these serious constraints LH was still able to qualify.

If that doesn't provide enough evidence for the benefits male puberty and physiology bestows then watch the swimming mixed 4 x 100m race.

I'm honesty baffled why people say this is a complex issue.

It's not.

It's very simple.

If you have XY chromosomes and male gonads (whatever or however they develop or whatever modifications you choose to make to them, surgical or hormonal) then you compete as a male.

Every single male athlete at the Olympics (or any elite event) goes into competition knowing they are competing against their own sex.

Why do women athletes not have the same right?

Because the administrative bodies of elite sports have been captured for decades.

LH isn't the start.

We've had over a decade of men competing against women and rule appeasements that never figure in men's sport to allow this.

Elite athletes make tough choices every day about what they do with their body and the impact on their mental health.

They can't take certain medication (doping risk), train endlessly, eat a very restricted diet.

They don't comprise.

Yet Trans athletes expect compromise. Endless compromise.

Elite isn't about inclusion. It's the reverse.

It's about the very few people with the right body type for their specific sport who also have the mental strength to devote (the best) years of their life to a rigorous level of training and self discipline that impacts every facet of their being.

Not rocking up at 40 after a life of privileged wealth and mediocrity.

Here here

@warmandtoasty2day

Absolutely correct. Spot on.

And today Laurel announced their retirement stating age has caught up with them.

Age has caught up with me. In fact if we're being honest it probably caught up with me some time ago,' said Hubbard, who was more than 20 years older than most of her rivals.

'My involvement in sport is probably due, if nothing else, to heroic amounts of anti-inflammatories, and it's probably time for me to start thinking about hanging up the boots and concentrating on other things in my life.'

Hubbard praised the IOC for showing 'moral leadership' in adopting inclusive polices that allowed her to participate at the Games.

'I'm not sure that a role model is something I could ever aspire to be, instead I hope that just by being I can provide some sense of encouragement,' she told reporters.

So Laurel knew they were too old and carried injury but still Laurel was happy to take the place of a younger woman who might have had a chance of a medal.

Laurel is a Trojan horse to open yet more doors for male bodied people into women’s elite sports. They knew exactly what they were doing but once again the feelings of men are more important than the rights of women.

@Proudboomer

And today Laurel announced their retirement stating age has caught up with them.

Age has caught up with me. In fact if we're being honest it probably caught up with me some time ago,' said Hubbard, who was more than 20 years older than most of her rivals.

'My involvement in sport is probably due, if nothing else, to heroic amounts of anti-inflammatories, and it's probably time for me to start thinking about hanging up the boots and concentrating on other things in my life.'

Hubbard praised the IOC for showing 'moral leadership' in adopting inclusive polices that allowed her to participate at the Games.

'I'm not sure that a role model is something I could ever aspire to be, instead I hope that just by being I can provide some sense of encouragement,' she told reporters.

So Laurel knew they were too old and carried injury but still Laurel was happy to take the place of a younger woman who might have had a chance of a medal.

Laurel is a Trojan horse to open yet more doors for male bodied people into women’s elite sports. They knew exactly what they were doing but once again the feelings of men are more important than the rights of women.

Sadly I completely agree. So unfair.

Yep, agree with @Proudboomer, she was the door way for others to go through and this whole “I wasn’t good enough, I’m too old” was just so they don’t seem like a threat to biological female competitors in the future.
Very transparent

Which is why next time it'll be fighting fit 23 year old male weightlifters who took androgen blockers for a while beforehand. Because that's what a woman is.

As for "moral leadership", words fail me. Stop getting women to agree to unfair shit that disadvantages them by moralising at them.

'Age has caught up with me. In fact if we're being honest it probably caught up with me some time ago,' said Hubbard.

Ya think, Hubbard?

Never mind. Maybe there's an under 12s category somewhere you can identify into.

I too am truly finding it hard to come to terms with the IOC's belief that the Olympic events should not be monitored to the nth degree for 'fairness'.

The inconsistencies are huge. No doping, no rule breaking, no unauthorised equipment....but we will allow these other types of advantages. Because, it only really effects women and hey, obvs we are all here for the menz!

They are star performers and the more we can get into female events the better, we reckon. Oh... but you cannot wear those particular shoes, or that swimming cap...

@DeRigueurMortis

Am I surprised?

No.

LH was 20 years older than the completion, in poor physical shape due to injury and as a result compensated with poor technique.

What's illuminating is that despite these serious constraints LH was still able to qualify.

If that doesn't provide enough evidence for the benefits male puberty and physiology bestows then watch the swimming mixed 4 x 100m race.

I'm honesty baffled why people say this is a complex issue.

It's not.

It's very simple.

If you have XY chromosomes and male gonads (whatever or however they develop or whatever modifications you choose to make to them, surgical or hormonal) then you compete as a male.

Every single male athlete at the Olympics (or any elite event) goes into competition knowing they are competing against their own sex.

Why do women athletes not have the same right?

Because the administrative bodies of elite sports have been captured for decades.

LH isn't the start.

We've had over a decade of men competing against women and rule appeasements that never figure in men's sport to allow this.

Elite athletes make tough choices every day about what they do with their body and the impact on their mental health.

They can't take certain medication (doping risk), train endlessly, eat a very restricted diet.

They don't comprise.

Yet Trans athletes expect compromise. Endless compromise.

Elite isn't about inclusion. It's the reverse.

It's about the very few people with the right body type for their specific sport who also have the mental strength to devote (the best) years of their life to a rigorous level of training and self discipline that impacts every facet of their being.

Not rocking up at 40 after a life of privileged wealth and mediocrity.

Totally agree.

The IOC have proven themselves to be a bunch of spineless dicks.

People can identify as whatever they like - but the sporting authorities need to classify athletes on whether they have a X or Y chromosome. Simple as that. No faffing about with testosterone levels or which bits have been chopped off.

Simply X or Y chromosome? Job done.

@peaceanddove

People can identify as whatever they like - but the sporting authorities need to classify athletes on whether they have a X or Y chromosome. Simple as that. No faffing about with testosterone levels or which bits have been chopped off.

Simply X or Y chromosome? Job done.

This.

Did anyone see the Russian athlete in the Sport Climbing earlier who slipped from the wall during her speed climb? She looked like a small child having a tantrum (arms and legs flailing as she lowered to the ground). THAT is how someone who truly wants to be there reacts when things don’t go according to plan, not a little smirk and shake of the head a la Hubbard. I swear if Hubbard had been miked up we would have heard a tinkly laugh

I saw that CaveMum. She is the World Champ wasn't she? Properly gutted!

LH = Trojan horse. Thanks Jacinta, thanks New Zealand for leading the charge to decimate women's sport.
The stage is set for men to take over. It won't be long before the trans girls from Conneticut, who have normal testosterone levels at the moment yet still compete against natal born girls, are competing at the Olympics and winning.
It makes me so angry.

@peaceanddove

People can identify as whatever they like - but the sporting authorities need to classify athletes on whether they have a X or Y chromosome. Simple as that. No faffing about with testosterone levels or which bits have been chopped off.

Simply X or Y chromosome? Job done.

I'd make an exception for people with Swyer's syndrome, but they are women (female bodies, just lacking functional ovaries). It would be an easy one-off distinction to make.

DrSbaitso yes, of course.

I honestly think determining athletes by whether they're X or Y is the most sensible option. That way, no one's gender (or whatever) is being questioned.