Tokyo: Laurel Hubbard has made history by becoming the first openly transgender athlete to compete in an individual event at the Summer Olympics. The New Zealand weightlifter did not make the podium, after failing to advance to the final.
She became the first openly transgender athlete to compete at a Games in a different gender category to the one in which they were born.
Despite not reaching the final round, Hubbard smiled and cupped her hands together in a heart gesture before walking off the stage at the Tokyo International Forum.
In her emotional farewell, Hubbard also thanked Japan for hosting the Games, according to her country’s Olympic committee.
But after a failed attempt to lift 120kg and two failed efforts at 125kg in the snatch, her competition ended.
Team GB’s Emily Campbell won silver, with gold going to China’s Li Wenwen.
