Laurel Hubbard to go to Tokyo

[Biscuitsanddoombar]

Not a surprise and hopefully it’ll open some eyes about the utter ridiculousness of allowing someone who is male to compete against women in weightlifting

www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/may/05/trans-weightlifter-laurel-hubbard-set-to-make-history-at-tokyo-olympics

If this needs to happen to highlight the ridiculous IOC rules, then so be it. I hope the whole world see how unfair this is and pressure is put in the IOC to change.
I feel so sorry for the female competitors though. It’s so so unfair.

I am just posting this quote

Under IOC guidelines, issued in November 2015, athletes who transition from male to female can compete in the women’s category without requiring surgery to remove their testes provided their total testosterone level in serum is kept below 10 nanomoles per litre for at least 12 months – a rule followed by the IWF.

As a reminder to all those posters who come and ask ‘where are all the Olympic transwomen medalists.?’ As their gotcha.

It’s horrendously unfair

NZ clearly not much of a place for women

Unfortunately, this is ultimately a very good thing. Just sad for her competitors.

Yeh! A great first........

.....for people who have absolutely no concern for women and girls's sports or for any concept of fairness.

Team Laurel! Team Laurel!

Where have I put my pom-poms?

Ah! There they are.

The guardian wrote this-

'However, a number of scientific papers have recently shown people who have undergone male puberty retain significant advantages in power and strength even after taking medication to suppress their testosterone levels.'

I'm gobsmacked. What has happened there? Did it slip through editing?

I really hope this gets a lot of attention.

I mentioned this to a sports coach I know - he saw the photo and was pretty horrified (after asking ‘is it real?’).

He told me the next time I bumped into him that he had mentioned this to a (female client) who said ‘the poor thing - maybe she feels like a woman’. He was

@JaniceBattersby

Do I sense a little bit of cynicism slipping into that Guardian piece? They’re normally so woke. Surely they won’t have any criticism of an authentic, brave and stunning woman taking part in a female competition?

Sean Ingle is pretty balanced. I suspect he is not a fan of what is happening to women’s sports and does seem to like the science coming through.

I think it's s good thing as it will highlight the issue of trans women in women's sports to a wide audience

This bit is pretty stark too:

Hubbard lived as a male for 35 years, and did not compete in international weightlifting. But since transitioning in 2012 she has won several elite titles.

Well now colour me shocked

Sean Ingle knows...

www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/dec/07/study-suggests-ioc-adjustment-period-for-trans-women-may-be-too-short

43 years old. Decade older than the female competitors.

10 nmol/ litre is IOC cut off.

Google (clicked on Bristol hosp randomly)

Reference range:
Adults:
Male 8.7 - 29 nmol/L,
Female 0.2 - 1.7 nmol/L

How can IOC justify their 10 nmol/l threshold?

Even before you get into all the other differences that reducing testosterone does not vanish away.

And this has been raised since they made this rule and yet it stands.

Well at least it will be bright, glaring sunlight...

I think Sean Ingle is an ally who sees the truth, has often written about this and Semenya but is likely treading a line editorially.

Fantastic news.

I hope Zuby can make it too.

@MrGHardy

43 years old. Decade older than the female competitors.

Two decades. I think the girls he beat last time were in their early 20s and from underprivileged backgrounds in Samoa. I bet most of the women competing will be under 30. It makes me so angry that this idiocy is allowed.

The other thing about this which is closer to home.

The 'normal' testosterone levels were I believe set some decades ago in a study in s different country and when societal norms were different.

I have read things saying they are not actually that reflective of normality.

We know now that hormone changes can come from unexpected things- e.g. men who look after their babies a lot have s drop in testosterone.

And on top of that.

The lower end of the range for men is below the IOC cut off. Men who have normal testosterone levels would be able to compete as women, with no medical intervention, by their rules.

That seems all wrong. What does it say about men with testosterone at the lower end of normal? Not even low. normal

It's a load of shit whichever way you look at it.

According to their rules. It's a bit real men and others.

Real men have plenty of testosterone.

Anyone who has less than their arbitrary cut off is a non man and they can all compete in the category that is for non men iyswim.

It's such a misogynist view and also one that shows really worrying attitudes about masculinity/ what 'makes a man'.

It's indefensible.

I wonder why it's so high? Maybe female competitors have higher than average levels of testosterone? And they don't want to have to ban them? To do with intersex even though that's a totally different thing?

And we know some countries will stop at nothing for medals. This will be exploited and male children will be harmed. Why don't they seem to be addressing that?

When I think of the collective time and effort all of Hubbard's competitors spent in training in national competitions, being selected for the Olympic squad, making it into the competition team and then this…

And even worse that it's happening in plain sight with the endorsement of the authorities and that they won't be allowed to discuss it (probably). Or, will be reprimanded for turning away or neglecting to wholeheartedly embrace or congratulate Hubbard (as has happened to other podium placers in other sports).