Kiwi University Awards 'Sportswoman of the Year' to Man Who Came in Last Place at Olympics
Transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, who choked at the Tokyo Olympics this summer, was named “Sportswoman of the Year” by the University of Otago in New Zealand.
Michaela Waite-Harvey, the president of the Otago University Students’ Association, told the Otago Daily Times that no woman was more deserving of being recognized as a paragon of female sports than the 43-year-old New Zealand man.
‘‘We could think of no one more worthy of sportswoman of the year than Laurel Hubbard, who represented Otago and New Zealand incredibly well at this year’s Tokyo Olympics,” Waite-Harvey said.
The hulking 6-foot-1, 300-pound weightlifter thanked the university for its unwavering support of his goal to dominate women’s sports.
“It is not possible for athletes to [compete] at the Olympic level without the encouragement and aroha of friends, family and supporters,” he said. “This award belongs to everyone who has been part of my Olympic journey.’’
Hubbard made history in July when he became the first transgender athlete to compete in a woman’s Olympic event.
Before transitioning, he competed for years in men’s weightlifting competitions as Gavin Hubbard, according to the New Zealand Herald.
He started identifying as female in 2012 at the age of 35. In 2017, Hubbard began competing in women’s weightlifting events and promptly went on a blistering win streak.
Despite mass media hype, however, he was eliminated from the snatch competition at the Tokyo Games this summer after failing to make a successful lift in his weight class (the over-87-kilogram division). This means Hubbard came in dead last.
Transgender Olympic weightlifter Laurel Hubbard fails on third lift and will not medal. The fact this was allowed is a disgrace. Women who work there whole lives to excell in their sport should not have to compete against biological men. Im for women’s rights! pic.twitter.com/QXnVkQm2xp
— Brian Topping (@briantopping66) August 2, 2021
Social media users erupted at the comical irony of bestowing the “Sportswoman of the Year” honor on a man who not only failed to medal but was eliminated from the competition.
“She didn’t even complete [one] attempt so we’re just handing out sports awards for people changing genders now?” one Twitter user wrote.
FFS ???. She didn’t even complete on attempt so we’re just handing out sports awards for people changing genders now? ??♂️
Transgender athlete Laurel Hubbard named sportswoman of the year in NZ
https://t.co/nSUPCqlWaX— @sirfrank (@sir_frankuk) October 2, 2021
A university in New Zealand has named Laurel Hubbard sportswoman of the year.
Yep. SportsWOMAN of the year. So the university has literally taken an award away from a woman to give it to a transwoman.
Please stop this crazy train. I want to get off. pic.twitter.com/tlYbMY9MLu
— John Doe (@JohnDoe00Se7en) October 2, 2021
Many Twitter users pointed out the absurdity of honoring a man as the “Sportswoman of the Year” while ignoring the historic achievements of Kiwi canoe champion Lisa Carrington, who won three gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics and became New Zealand’s most successful Olympian ever.
Imagine how screwed up you have to be, to give your country’s sportsWOMAN of the year award to a biological male that couldn’t complete a single lift in a qualifying round… Over this.
Woke ideology is pathetic.#sexmatters#protectwomenssports https://t.co/LdNS9Wzfoi
— Blackheart (@Blackheart19750) October 6, 2021
Laurel Hubbard wins sportswoman of the year. Goes to the Olympics and finishes dead last in her event. Lisa Carrington wins 3 gold medals and becomes the most successful Olympian in New Zealand history and loses. The award celebrates sporting greatness. https://t.co/7xkOuBpJwX pic.twitter.com/00RI2CRlZF
— Flying Under the Radar (@TheEndIsNear66) October 2, 2021
The farcical irony of giving Hubbard this award spotlights the insanity of toxic wokeness, which has morphed into a war on women and common sense.
Last year, a transgender mixed-martial arts fighter who broke his female opponent’s skull was celebrated as “the bravest athlete in history.”
Want to hear deafening silence? Ask a Democrat to defend this. Both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris think this is just fine.
Transgender Fighter Who Broke Woman’s Skull in MMA Ring Has Now Been Called the ‘Bravest Athlete in History’ https://t.co/3V95WqTpw7
— John Steigerwald (@Steigerworld) February 16, 2021
The issue of transgender athletes competing as females has ignited a volcanic backlash from critics who say it’s unfair for men who identify as women to compete against women.
Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a physician, said the notion is misogynistic and anti-science.
Similarly, former MMA commentator Joe Rogan said allowing men to beat up women in physical combat sports is akin to sanctioned domestic violence.
“You’re out of your mind if you think that a man who has been a man for 30 years and has taken female hormones for two is the same [as a biological woman],” Rogan said in a 2018 podcast.
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