Wednesday 4 August 2021 - 5:00am Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard failed to complete a lift at the Olympics but her supporters say she has struck a blow for the transgender community AFP | Mohd RASFAN TOKYO - Transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard has announced she will retire in the wake of her groundbreaking appearance at the Tokyo Olympics this week. The New Zealander, on Monday, contested the +87kg category weightlifting, in a debut the International Olympic Committee (IOC) described as the first appearance by an openly transgender woman at an Olympics. While her appearance on sport's biggest stage was short-lived -- an "overwhelmed" Hubbard failed to complete a successful lift -- it was hailed by trans activists as a historic occasion for a marginalised community.