Transgender Weightlifter Wins Two Gold Medals in Women’s Division

Transgender
AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

A transgender weightlifter has swept the women’s categories in the 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa, winning two gold medals over natural-born female opponents.

Laurel Hubbard has once again crushed natural-born female opponents winning two gold medals and a silver in three heavyweight categories for women at the games, according to the Washington Times.

Hubbard defeated Samoa’s Feagaiga Stowers, who won the gold last year when Hubbard pulled out due to an injury.

Born as Gavin Hubbard, the 41-year-old weightlifter has cut a wide swath through female weightlifting after transitioning as a transgender woman six years ago. The only hiccup in Hubbard’s domination of the sport was an elbow injury during last year’s Commonwealth Games.

Hubbard’s continued gains in the Pacific region may have served to spur the leading U.S. weightlifting association to ban men transitioning to females from competing against natural-born women.

This year, USA Powerlifting delegates voted 46 to 4 to keep a previous policy banning transgender participation amid pressure from well-funded transgender athletes to reverse the ban.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.

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