A page of history will be written when the Tokyo Olympics get underway on July 23. New Zealand’s Laurel Hubbard is set to become the first transgender athlete to compete in the history of the Games.

The 43-year-old weightlifter will represent the Kiwi contingent in the women's 87-kilogram category, the New Zealand Olympic Committee said in a statement. The country’s Olympic committee chief Kereyn Smith said, “We acknowledge that gender identity in sport is a highly sensitive and complex issue requiring a balance between human rights and fairness on the field of play.” Hubbard reportedly transitioned into a female in her 30s.

“I am grateful and humbled by the kindness and support that has been given to me by so many New Zealanders,” Hubbard said in a statement. “When I broke my arm at the Commonwealth Games three years ago, I was advised that my sporting career had likely reached its end. But your support, your encouragement, and your aroha (meaning love in Maori language) carried me through the darkness.”

Hubbard got a word of praise from Olympic Weightlifting New Zealand president Richie Patterson as well. “Laurel has shown grit and perseverance in her return from a significant injury and overcoming the challenges in building back confidence on the competition platform,” he said in a statement.

According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Hubbard meets the criteria of a trans woman, which means her testosterone levels are below 10 nanomoles per litre.

Maximum of 10,000 local fans allowed

The Tokyo Olympics will allow local fans to attend when the Games open in just over a month, organising committee officials and the IOC have announced. Organisers set a limit of 50% of capacity up to a maximum of 10,000 fans for all Olympic venues.

The decision was announced after the so-called Five Party talks online with local organisers, the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, the Japanese government and the government of metropolitan Tokyo.

The decision contradicts the country’s top medical adviser, Dr Shigeru Omi, who recommended last week that the safest way to hold the Olympics would be without fans. He had previously called it abnormal to hold the Olympics during the pandemic.