‘You can’t change the rules’: Olympic chief says ‘investigation phase’ underway as nation pledges to protect transgender weightlifter

Heavyweight Hubbard is the first transgender athlete to compete in the Olympics, as he travels to Tokyo as part of the New Zealand squad in an inclusion that saw prominent figures raise questions about competition and character.

Experts raised questions about Hubbard’s post, wondering how current rules regarding testosterone levels have been met.

The qualification rules are set by the International Weightlifting Federation [IWF] prior to commencement of qualification and that these rules apply”, The International Olympic Committee said [IOC] President Bach, though IWF official Mark House, suggested the rules should not allow Hubbard to be at the Games for less than two months.

“You cannot change the rules during the ongoing competition. At the same time, the IOC is in the process of investigating all the different stakeholders.

“Medical experts, social experts, human rights experts, and of course international associations also to review these rules and ultimately come up with guidelines that cannot be rules, because this [has] There is no one-size-fits-all solution. “

Pacific Games champion Hubbard is expected to start her campaign at the Tokyo International Forum on August 2, and Bach said the guidelines “vary from sport to sport” and should be grouped in such a way that their “various aspects” ensure “fair competition”. .

“This is the role of the sports organization [while]At the same time, respecting the rights, human rights and right to privacy of the athletes concerned, he added.

NZOC Director of Public Affairs and Communications Ashley Abbott described the country team’s efforts to assist Hubbard.

“We work closely with Laurel – as we do with any athlete – but mostly because of the great focus on her, to see what works best for her in terms of media interaction.” , She said.

“Of course there are [media] Mixed area and things like that. We will continue to work with her and make sure she is supported at all times and understands what the environment might look like. It’s definitely something we’ve looked at. “