Laurel Hubbard may not have won gold, but she has made history anyway.
The transgender weightlifter from New Zealand won two silver medals at the world championships of the International Weightlifting Federation in Anaheim, Calif. She finished second in the snatch category and fourth in the clean and jerk, with a combined score good enough for second overall. She is in the 90+ kg weight class.
Not only is she the first publicly out transgender athlete to win a gold, silver or bronze medal at a world championship, but she is also the first weightlifter from New Zealand to do it.
Despite cries about Hubbard having unfair advantages over the rest of the competitors, she was bested in both events and in the overall total Sarah Elizabeth Robles of the United States.
Of course that didn’t stop the jerks of the Internet from unleashing their venom:
Headline should read….Disgusting cheat steals awards off honest sportspeople.
— Bryan Leslie (@Bryan_Leslie_NZ) December 5, 2017
This person is still powered by male hormones and will be for.at.least another year according to LGBT experts who agree. Makes them look bad too!https://t.co/47iUftqxW7
More trans bollocks. This guy should be ashamed of himself. Whatever he wins is worthless.https://t.co/0YpFvce9EQ
— Pat Condell (@patcondell) November 27, 2017
Even some weightlifters, like Chris Hernandez of New Jersey, chose to take some gross cheap shots at Hubbard.
Still, there are also people who are completely behind Hubbard:
Laurel Hubbard has just become the first transgender woman to win a weightlifting medal for New Zealand at the world champs (and she got two silvers!) 😭😭😭 I'm so proud
— tommy claus 🎅🎄 (@howareyourlungs) December 6, 2017
Laurel Hubbard is the first Kiwi to ever take a medal at the world weightlifting championships, i hope she feels all the pride in the world. https://t.co/2rxXeTMvji
— Magical Fox (@bellofthebird) December 5, 2017
Hubbard previously competed against men. Now she has met all the requirements of competition for women. She currently has various weightlifting world records for her weight class.
Next year she will compete for New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games.