- Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard will compete for Team New Zealand in this year’s Olympics in the 87kg Women’s division.
- Hubbard is transgender, which has created controversy due to her competing against other natural-born women in the weightlifting competition.
TOKYO – The women’s weightlifting competition at this year’s Tokyo Olympics will have more eyes on it than ever before due to the involvement of New Zealand’s Laurel Hubbard.
While Hubbard is a tremendous lifter and athlete, she is also transgender, which has stirred up controversy ahead of her participation at the Games. Hubbard, 43, began her transition from male to female when she was 35 years old. Before her transition, she competed and trained as a powerlifter since her teenage years.
Those looking to bet on the Olympics can find odds for the weightlifting competition at many of the major online sportsbooks, including odds for Hubbard’s event.
Women’s 87 Kg Weightlifting – Gold Medal
- Li Wenwen +100
- Laurel Hubbard +250
- Tatiana Kashirina +500
- Tamara Salazar +600
- Naryury Perez +800
- Sarah Robles +900
- Emily Campbell +1000
Hubbard is set to become the first transgender athlete to compete at the highest level of competition at the Tokyo Olympics. Her involvement in the Games is allowed under current Olympic regulations which she fully satisfies. However, this doesn’t mean that it has come without disagreement.
There is currently a petition with over 20,000 signatures against Hubbard’s participation in the Games.
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The petition states its stance: “Male-born athletes who identify as women are taking women’s places on sports teams, breaking women’s sporting records and insisting they must share changing and showering facilities with women. This is unfair to women due to the incontrovertible physical advantage that transwomen have. It will also prevent some women from taking part in organized sport at all due to religious and cultural reasons.”
Even with the high amount of signatures, it is extremely unlikely that Hubbard or any other of the transgender athletes at this year’s Olympics are not allowed to compete.
There are a record nine transgender athletes that could compete in Tokyo, and those looking to bet on the Olympics can find odds as to how many medals these athletes will win.
Number Of Medals Won By Trans Athletes
- 0 +120
- 1-4 -175
- 5+ +500
Despite Hubbard’s alleged advantages, she is not the favorite to win the Gold medal in her division. The women’s 87kg group will begin their competition on August 2.
Jimmy Reinman honed his skills across various mediums including print, radio, and broadcast before bringing his arsenal of knowledge to the team here at USAOnlineSportsbooks in 2020. When he’s not writing, you can find him in a state of focused stress on any College Football Saturday, or maniacally constructing NBA parlays on a cool spring evening.
