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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

529 replies

Gladiolixoxo · 02/08/2021 14:21

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

OP posts:
Helleofabore · 02/08/2021 17:27

The thing I take from this is that actually there isn't anything to worry about. Transwoman trounced by non-transwomen which suggests that maybe the guidelines are alright and the rules that are in place have bought Hubbard down to not just to par female level, but actually sub-female level.

Ok.

Let's allow doping too... as long as the doper doesn't win, the doping level rules just need to be brought down to sub-winning level.

Let's allow an adult to compete in the under 16s ... it is ok, as long as they are happy and they don't win.

Let's allow an able bodied person to compete in Paralympics.... it is ok, as long as they don't win.

Let's allow a secret motor to be on one of the Tour de France team's bikes, as long as they don't win and maybe in the future we can set the guidelines to be alright so none of those bikes ever win. Just so long as they are ok to compete.

And ...

Let's allow Hubbard to continue to compete at regional level so that each time another up and coming woman misses out .....

because Hubbard DID NOT win the Olympics so is a 'sub-level' competitor. It's ok. No women are harmed really so fuck it, let them continue to compete despite being male.

It is quite clear that critical thinking about this issue is also sub standard and not up to heavy lifting that posters believe their posts are capable of.

Or, it is clear that some posters simply don't care about women's sport. In which case, simply be honest and move on.

ditalini · 02/08/2021 17:29

And maybe, every now and then, depending on the sport, an XX woman will be so spectacularly gifted that they can compete in the open category as well.

And if it turns out that the open category is completely dominated by these XX individuals because it turns out that XY and testosterone doesn't give an athletic advantage ( in your fever dreams Veronica Ivy ), then we can have a rethink.

Waspsarearseholes · 02/08/2021 17:29

@BlueLobelia

I watched it. Hubbard threw it. The smug triumphant smile every time shows there was something else at play. Now the narrative is 'see, nothing to see here. No unfair advantage at all. Silly women worried about that. Hubbard took one for the trans team'.

fucking joke. Go watch the footage. see how hubbard reacted. it was blatant.

Would you happen to have a link at hand please? I'd very much like to see this.
BlueLobelia · 02/08/2021 17:31

I watched it on an internet tv live stream. Can anyone find the full footage of the three 'attempts'? I think it should be posted.

Off to look myself...

Hilda40 · 02/08/2021 17:31

Is it's middle name Ron?

TheQueef · 02/08/2021 17:33

Martyr to the cause.
Never intended to win, that'd be held against them.
Now can blame injury and age and leave the door open.
Well rehearsed.

Helleofabore · 02/08/2021 17:33

@Liberett0

Felt really sad for her. But just her being at the Olympics will have given confidence to and inspired hundreds talented trans women that they can aim to participate in the Olympics in Paris 2024 ❤️
Those hundreds of talented transwomen can actually compete in the Paris 2024. They can compete as males. Just like the Samoan Rugby player plays in the male team.

Only someone completely misinformed would think that those transwomen were banned from competing against their own sex all along.

So are you? That completely misinformed?

HereticFanjo · 02/08/2021 17:39

@DrSbaitso

It's been engineered in order to substantiate the lie that she never had any male advantage, and therefore clear the way for further hijack of women's sports.

The fact that as 43 year old with recent injuries, she was there at all - suddenly world class in substandard middle age, when competing against women - shows the truth of her male advantage. But you aren't allowed to say that.

This
KTheGrey · 02/08/2021 17:40

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Bryonyshcmyony · 02/08/2021 17:43

Surely NZ must feel a bit embarrassed about sending Hubbard?

PollyPaintsFlowers · 02/08/2021 17:45

@stickygotstuck

Another one who thinks this was planned all along.

There's been some talk about LH in the wider press now, usually with a side of "some people think that poor LH shuould not have a right to compete with women, poor little thing, can you believe the nastiness, boohoo".

And that will be the message newcomers to the topic take away, since LH did not show her prowess or lack thereoof.

Then again, LH is old, has had an injury and had attacted a lot of attention. It could be that LH simply was not up to it. All the more reason to have done the decent thing and not taken a place that should never have been hers.

Hers???
Wheretobuy · 02/08/2021 17:46

@Helleofabore

The thing I take from this is that actually there isn't anything to worry about. Transwoman trounced by non-transwomen which suggests that maybe the guidelines are alright and the rules that are in place have bought Hubbard down to not just to par female level, but actually sub-female level.

Ok.

Let's allow doping too... as long as the doper doesn't win, the doping level rules just need to be brought down to sub-winning level.

Let's allow an adult to compete in the under 16s ... it is ok, as long as they are happy and they don't win.

Let's allow an able bodied person to compete in Paralympics.... it is ok, as long as they don't win.

Let's allow a secret motor to be on one of the Tour de France team's bikes, as long as they don't win and maybe in the future we can set the guidelines to be alright so none of those bikes ever win. Just so long as they are ok to compete.

And ...

Let's allow Hubbard to continue to compete at regional level so that each time another up and coming woman misses out .....

because Hubbard DID NOT win the Olympics so is a 'sub-level' competitor. It's ok. No women are harmed really so fuck it, let them continue to compete despite being male.

It is quite clear that critical thinking about this issue is also sub standard and not up to heavy lifting that posters believe their posts are capable of.

Or, it is clear that some posters simply don't care about women's sport. In which case, simply be honest and move on.

This x 10. Some people are thick as custard and have no grasp of how biology.
Wheretobuy · 02/08/2021 17:46

…how biology works.

Liberett0 · 02/08/2021 17:48

Fantastic to see so many people have such a passionate interest in weightlifting on mumsnet. Shame that the only weightlifter they could probably name without the help of Google is Laurel Hubbard 😂

Helleofabore · 02/08/2021 17:56

Liberett0

Then you’d be wrong. I have even watched weightlifting at commonwealth games level.

But crack on being so ill informed.

Feelingoktoday · 02/08/2021 17:57

@BlueLobelia

I watched it. Hubbard threw it. The smug triumphant smile every time shows there was something else at play. Now the narrative is 'see, nothing to see here. No unfair advantage at all. Silly women worried about that. Hubbard took one for the trans team'.

fucking joke. Go watch the footage. see how hubbard reacted. it was blatant.

Hubbard knows how to lift weights. They failed on purpose. But they achieved their aims. They have opened up the flood gates for anyone to compete in women’s sport. Let’s get Bolt back and he can compete in the women’s 100m. How exciting would that be.
FluffyBattleKitten · 02/08/2021 17:57

Well I care because if weightlifting sets a precedent then my sport is next. Or the little girls in whatever sport they choose.
The inability to see beyond your own experience is shocking.

CurbsideProphet · 02/08/2021 18:05

I feel very sorry for the NZ woman who missed out on her place at the Olympics. I also feel very sorry for the woman from Tonga who lost out to LH in the trial heats to get to the Olympics.

I feel despair that women's sport will become a free for all men. Grants and scholarships will go to males who aren't good enough to complete against other males.

Ofalltheginjoints · 02/08/2021 18:05

@Liberett0

Fantastic to see so many people have such a passionate interest in weightlifting on mumsnet. Shame that the only weightlifter they could probably name without the help of Google is Laurel Hubbard 😂
How about Emily Campbell first British Woman to win a weightlifting medal when she came second?

People care about this because it matters for women's sport, I was a para athlete and had to stop when my classification was changed, was I heartbroken yes, did I look for a loophole which would effectively let me cheat? No, I have more honor then that and I want to win fairly, shame Hubbard doesn't have the same values.

Men have no place in women's sport, unfortunately transwomen have too much of a biological advantage, if your trans great but unfortunately there are some things in life you cannot do, like Usain Bolt running in the Paralympics or me now competing in my old category as I no longer fit the rules, life isn't fair at times.

Friends of mine raced in an international competition against a transwomen, this transwomen was 30+ years older then them and about 6'6 compared to the women being between 5'6 to 5'9 and at the peak of their physical fitness, the transwomen won by a large margin 2nd 3rd and 4th place were decided by split seconds, the advantage in that race was clear

Ozanj · 02/08/2021 18:06

This opens up inclusion of trans atheletes in the paraolympics which is tragic because womens sports there are already struggling. Trans atheletes shouldn’t be allowed to compete in the Olympics full stop. They chose to change their biological sex and by doing so they need to accept that they can’t do certain things like compete in sports.

2bazookas · 02/08/2021 18:07

@EishetChayil

A tactical move, leaving the way clear for transwomen to colonise women's sports.
Alternatively, they shot themselves in the..... foot and set back their agenda for decades.
NiceGerbil · 02/08/2021 18:08

Watching on BBC red button. Assume they will show the whole thing.

I really don't think that the fact that a person twice the age of the other competitors and with an injury can be used as complete and final proof that all is fair and fab.

There are a fair few people out there who think, women wanted equality so stick this in your pipe and smoke it!

They're the ones who get very excited over having plenty of transwomen in things like boxing. Interestingly Fallon fox was quoted on the BBC 10am news apparently. The MMA fighter who loves smacking up women who don't agree it's fair, in the ring.

OoglyMoogly · 02/08/2021 18:08

“But after a failed attempt to lift 120kg and two failed efforts at 125kg in the snatch“

From the BBC website. Made me laugh! Grin

ShotgunShack · 02/08/2021 18:09

Hubbard has already ‘won’ without lifting a finger today. Hubbard and his influencial, affluent family have lobbied hard to get Hubbard a place on the women’s team. In the name of inclusion.

They were successful and have the backing of the IOC, the BBC and mainstream media, activists and those who have also lobbied in the name of diversity and inclusion.

Hubbard won. And now the way is clear for all those who will come after. The woman who was elbowed aside and never got the big break was at the top of her game, peak of her career, from an underprivileged minority background. Sidelined. In the name of inclusion.

dementedma · 02/08/2021 18:21

Thanks swimlyn. Perfectly good mouthful of gin sprayed all over the table!