New Zealand’s transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard has withdrawn from the 2018 Commonwealth Games after twisting her elbow in a 132 kilogram lift.

During the lift, commentators saw her elbow appearing to dislocate under the strain of the bar.

Hubbard, 39, said it was likely a ruptured ligament, the ABC reported.

Laurel Hubbard was forced to withdraw from her event due to injury. Photo: Getty

Who is Laurel Hubbard?

Laurel Hubbard was born in 1978 in New Zealand. She became the first New Zealand transgender athlete to qualify for the Commonwealth Games.

She was formally known as Gavin Hubbard until she began transitioning four years ago at the age of 35.

In 1998, competing as Gavin Hubbard, Hubbard set New Zealand’s junior records in the M105+ divisions with a snatch of 135kg, clean and jerk 17kg with a total of 300kg.

In 2017, she competed in the heaviest 90kg plus category in the Australian International and Australian Open in Melbourne.

Hubbard won gold and became the first transgender woman to win an international weightlifting title for New Zealand.

She also won two silvers at the World Championships in Anaheim in December.

Why were people opposed to her presence at the Commonwealth Games?

Hubbard’s qualification for the 2018 Commonwealth Games caused controversy.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) rejected calls to have her excluded from the games.

Australian Weightlifting Federation CEO Mike Keelan said she had an advantage over “female-born” athletes.

Samoa’s weightlifting coach said “a man is a man and a woman is a woman and I know a lot of changes have gone through, but in the past Laurel Hubbard used to be a male champion weightlifter”.

However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) states that for transgender women to compete, they must demonstrate their testosterone levels are below 10 nmol/L for “at least 12 months prior to her first competition”.

Hubbard passed all the guidelines which allowed the Commonwealth Games Federation to authorise her participation in the 2018 games.

In an interview, Hubbard said she just wants to show she is no different.

“I don’t think I am any different from anyone else, I don’t think I am any tougher — I just do what I have to do,” Hubbard said.

“You would have to be a robot to not be affected by what people were saying, but I can’t control what other people think.”