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      Amazing moment Keely Hodgkinson discovers she’s broken Kelly Holmes’ 800m record as she storms to Olympics silver medal

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      TEENAGER Keely Hodgkinson was seen shouting “what the f***?” after winning Team GB’s first Olympic 800m medal for 17 years and shattering Kelly Holmes’ British record.The 19-year-old from Leigh, who is studying criminology at Leeds Beckett University, finished second behind American star Athing Mu – also aged 19 – in a new GB mark of 1:55.88.
      Keely Hodgkinson broke the British record to win silver in the 800-metre finalCredit: Reuters
      The teenager was in tears as she reacted to the stunning performanceCredit: BBC
      And the Brit broke down in tears on TV while thanking her coaches and family for their support after being caught on camera mouthing her shock after crossing the finish line in a brilliant second place.
      It is a fast track here in Japan and Mu ran the quickest time by an American woman over two laps in 1:55.21.
      It was a stunning display by Lancashire lass Hodgkinson, coached by Trevor Painter and former athlete Jenny Meadows, and she came into position down the back straight.
      This is the same site where Ann Packer won 800m gold at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
      And it is the first medal won in this event by a Brit since Kelly Holmes did the middle-distance double at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
      Hodgkinson was in tears as she said after the race: “I wanted to leave it all out there and I did that.
      “It’s going to take a couple of days to sink in but I’m so happy.
      “I’m speechless, obviously Kelly Holmes is a legend. I’ve looked up to her and even spoken to her in the past couple of days, she’s a lovely person and I have no words for that.
      My friends will be like, ‘What’s she crying for?!’, but it means so much.Keely Hodgkinson
      “I want to thank my amazing team, my family that made so many sacrifices for me, Trevor and Jenny, they’ve put so much belief in me.”
      Though she won the indoor title at the Europeans in Poland in March, it is fair to say that few outside of athletics circles were aware of Hodgkinson’s talents or her potential.
      The fact she has done it so quickly and achieved a medal at this level shows she has an incredibly bright future.
      To put this into context, it is the first medal in this event since Kelly Holmes at Athens 2004 and time of 1:55.88 beats Holmes’s British record which had stood since 1995.
      When asked what the medal meant to her, she pointed to her tears and replied: “This, because I don’t cry!
      “My friends will be like, ‘What’s she crying for?!’, but it means so much and thank you to everyone who’s sent messages and supported me from home.
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      “I can’t believe it. If the Olympics were last year, I wouldn’t be here. But it’s definitely given me a year to grow and compete with these girls.”
      Scot Jemma Reekie, nicknamed the Sloth by team-mates, tried desperately to hold onto the bronze and even produced a personal best of 1:56.90.
      But she was pipped in the closing metres by American Raevyn Rogers in a personal best of 1:56.81, and Team GB’s Alex Bell came home seventh.
      Hodgkinson paid tribute to her family and coaches after the raceCredit: Reuters
      Kelly Holmes won gold in the 800m 17 years ago at Athens 2004Credit: Getty Hulton
      American star Athing Mu dominated the race to take goldCredit: Reuters
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      Team GB’s lucky Olympics birthday is March 23 with total of 33 medals coming from likes of Jason Kenny and Mo Farah

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      JASON KENNY became Britain’s most-decorated Olympian ever after winning his EIGHTH medal at Tokyo 2020.And the 33-year-old is just one of a clutch of British Olympic legends to have been born on March 23.
      Mo Farah wrote himself into the history books with back to back double golds at OlympicsCredit: AP:Associated Press
      With a total of 33 medals, 21 golds, nine silver and three bronzes, March 23 boasts half-a-dozen of Team GB’s biggest-ever stars.
      Sir Steve Redgrave, Sir Roger Bannister, Shelley Rudman, Sir Chris Hoy, Kenny and Sir Mo Farah all celebrate their birthday on the same spring date.
      So if you want your children to be destined for a path of glory, try and plan for a March 23 birthday.
      Take a look at six of Britain’s best athletes born on that special day and just how many Olympic medals they have won…
      Sir Mo Farah, Olympic medals – 4
      FARAH cemented his place as a British legend after his heroic performance at Rio 2016.
      After winning two gold medals at London 2012, he added two more to his tally in Brazil, defending his 5,000m and 10,000m crowns.
      He gained worldwide recognition when he won gold at that year’s World Championships in the 5,000m, where he also collected a silver medal in the 10,000m.
      In doing so he became the first British man to win a medal at either distance.
      Farah then became a British hero when he won two gold medals in both distances at London 2012, and was awarded a CBE following his success.
      Sir Chris Hoy, Olympic medals – 7
      Sir Chris Hoy is another huge Team GB name to have been born on March 23Credit: Getty Images
      HOY claimed six golds and one silver in a stellar Olympic career, topped off with a golden double at the London 2012 Olympics.
      He wasn’t even bothered that his Olympic record haul was equalled by another birthday boy in our list, Jason Kenny in Rio.
      Hoy also won 25 world Championship medals during his time on the track.Sir Steve Redgrave, Olympic medals – 6
      Steve Redgrave famously said in 1996 after winning Olympic gold that people could ‘shoot him’ if he went near a boat againCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      REDGRAVE is the most successful male rower in Olympic history, winning six medals in total – five golds and one bronze.
      He won consecutive golds at five Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000.
      In 1996, Redgrave famously claimed that if anyone saw him near a boat they could ‘shoot him’.
      Four years later, he won another Olympic gold at Sydney, and thankfully there was no gun in sight.Jason Kenny, Olympic medals – 8
      Credit: Getty ImagesJason Kenny write himself into the record books in Tokyo by winning a Team GB record eighth medal
      ONE half of Team GB’s golden couple – along with wife Laura – Kenny became a household name after dominating in the Velodrome.
      Kenny’s first taste of major track competition came when he competed in the Future Stars series in 2003 at the Manchester Velodrome.
      Success led to him representing Great Britain at junior level two years later and he made his World Championship bow in 2008.
      But it wasn’t until 2012 that he exploded onto the scene in the London Games, setting a new world record in the team sprint alongside Chris Hoy and Philip Hindes.
      He got an OBE for his performances in London and was sensational as he completed a hat-trick of gold medals in Rio.
      Kenny added a silver early in the track meet in Tokyo to make it medal No8 – with six golds and two silvers, beating Sir Bradley Wiggins’ tally, also of eight, but with just five golds.
      Shelley Rudman, Olympic medals – 1
      Credit: PA:Press AssociationShelley Rudman surprised herself as she won a silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics
      RUDMAN represented Team GB at three Olympic Winter Games and is one of our most decorated skeleton athletes.
      She won an Olympic silver at the 2006 Games in Turin – Team GB’s only gong that year.
      Before the event Rudman had claimed she was aiming for a ‘top ten finish’, but smashed her own expectation.
      The 2006 Games was seen as a stepping stone for the 2010 Games, but she was disappointed to finish in sixth in Vancouver.
      Sir Roger Bannister, 0 Olympic medals, died March 2018
      Credit: Getty Images
      Roger Bannister will be forever remembered as being the first person to break the four-minute mile barrier
      BANNISTER ran the first sub-four minute mile in 1954, and although he never won an Olympic medal, you should be proud to share a birthday with this man.
      In the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki Bannister set a British record in the 1,500 metres but finished fourth. This strengthened his resolve to be the first four-minute miler.
      Bannister became a distinguished neurologist after quitting athletics.
      He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2011 and died at the age of 88 on March 3, 2018.
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      Olympic controversy over ‘super shoe’ which acts like ‘trampoline’ leading to athletes smashing world record on track

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      IT WAS dubbed one of the races of the century and yet the Tokyo Olympics’ 400-metre men’s hurdles final soon became shrouded in controversy.Norway’s Karsten Warholm won gold by obliterating his own world record, which was also beaten by Rai Benjamin of the United States in silver.
      Rai Benjamin’s Nike shoe drew angry comments after the 400m hurdles
      Despite taking 0.76 seconds off the previous best time, Warholm took aim at his opponent and described his shoes as ‘b*******’.
      Warholm, 25, said: “If you put a trampoline there I think it’s b*******.
      “I think it takes credibility away from our sport. I don’t see why you should put anything beneath a sprinting shoe.”
      While the victor’s Puma EvoSpeed Future Faster+ shoes take advantage of new and revolutionary technology, there has been increased suspicion of Nike’s creations in recent years.
      Warholm’s shoe was designed in collaboration with the Mercedes Formula One team and is reinforced by a carbon-fibre plate in the sole to provide extra strength, balance and bounce.
      The Norwegian added: “What I can say about the shoes that I’ve been developing in a collaboration between Puma and the Mercedes Formula One team is that we’re trying to make it as credible as it can be.
      “Yes, we have the carbon plate but we have tried to make it as thin as possible because that’s the way that I would like to do it.
      “Of course, technology will always be there but I also want to keep it down to a level where we can actually compare results. That’s important.”
      Meanwhile, Benjamin’s Nike Air Zoom Maxfly shoe goes further with an air pod that provides even greater spring in each of the athlete’s steps.
      This is within the guidelines, which World Athletics have amended a number of times of late amid the controversy.
      I’ll wear different shoes and still run fast. It doesn’t matter, in all honesty, at the end of it.Rai Benjamin
      The soles of athletes’ shoes tended to remain under 15 millimetres before the technology emerged, leading to a 30mm and then a 25mm limit being introduced for events longer than 400 metres.
      Benjamin, 24, defended his performance on Tuesday as he took over half a second off the previous world record despite coming second.
      He namechecked ex-record holder Kevin Young and Olympic great Edwin Moses in defining his efforts, and said: “People say it’s the track, the shoes…
      “I’ll wear different shoes and still run fast. It doesn’t really matter, in all honesty, at the end of it.
      “I mean, there’s some efficiency in the shoe, don’t get me wrong, and it’s nice to have a good track but no one in history is going to go out there and do what we just did just now, ever.
      “I don’t care who you are, it could be Kevin Young, Edwin Moses… all respect to those guys, but they cannot run what we just ran just now.”
      BOLT REGRET
      The controversy has extended to distance running with Nike ‘super shoes’ leading to more records tumbling.
      However, not every athlete has deals to run with the American manufacturer and rival producers can be slow to catch up to innovations.
      One critic is Usain Bolt, who sees the upturn in speed across the board as unfair on those who raced in previous eras.
      The Jamaican legend believes he could have run faster had he been given the luxury of the ‘super shoes’.
      Bolt told The Guardian: “I don’t know for sure. But definitely much faster. Below 9.5 seconds for sure. Without a doubt.”
      He later added in a chat with Reuters: “When I was told about it I couldn’t believe that this is what we have gone to.
      “That we are really adjusting the spikes to a level where it’s now giving athletes an advantage to run even faster.
      “It’s weird and unfair for a lot of athletes because I know that in the past [manufacturers] actually tried and the governing body said, ‘No, you can’t change the spikes’.
      Two years from now, we’ll have a good feeling of what’s truly an exceptional performance in the new era.Geoff BurnsRunning shoe expert
      “So to know that now they are actually doing it, it’s laughable.”
      IAAF president Sebastian Coe, who won the 1,500m gold in consecutive Olympic Games, is less concerned.
      Seb Coe wrote in the Telegraph in March: “To lay it entirely at the door of technology is to focus on only one of many multi-faceted and interlocking factors that must all come together to run that quickly.”
      One thing is for sure: the innovation will continue.
      Geoff Burns, a biomechanics and sport performance researcher at the University of Michigan, said before Tokyo 2020 that technologies across the manufacturers will likely align to reveal the new era’s true benchmark.
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      He told AFP: “The way the fast performances in the distance and mid-distance races are celebrated by fans, announcers and the media is still likely overdone for their respective importance.
      “That is, the sport still hasn’t completely re-calibrated what’s good and what’s great. That will take a bit more time and more racing.
      “I suspect by the end of next year, we’ll be close, and by two years from now, we’ll have a good feeling of what’s truly an exceptional performance in the new era.”
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      How many false starts are sprinters allowed in 200m? Rules explained for 100m, 400m, relay and hurdles at Olympics

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      SPRINTERS are allowed ZERO false starts at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and if found guilty will be instantly disqualified – if the starter decides they’ve violated it.From January 2010 onward, the official track and field false start regulation indicated that any athlete starting within 100 milliseconds of the gun being fired would be disqualified from the race.
      Usain Bolt’s false start in the men’s 100m final at the World Athletics Championships in South KoreaCredit: AP:Associated Press
      How can they detect a false start?
      False start detection systems were introduced in 1979 and Omega’s false start detection system made its Olympics debut at the Los Angeles Olympics Games.
      In major athletics competitions, reaction times (RT) are currently detected using IAAF accredited false start detection systems.
      These systems determine athletes reaction time using encased accelerometers or force sensors fixed to the rear of the starting block rail to detect changes in force or acceleration exerted on the blocks through the feet.
      RT’s can now be instantly calculated accurately to 0.001 of a second, but for results, are recorded to the nearest 0.01 second.
      Research has found that a reaction time faster than one-tenth of a second is impossible for a human, and the runner is therefore deemed to have anticipated the gun.
      On the ‘Track & Field 101: Rules’ on the Olympics website, it states: “If a sprinter commences his or her starting motion from the set position before the Starter’s gun is fired, it is deemed a false start.
      “The first false start of a race results in an automatic disqualification to the offending runner.”
      For athletics and specifically sprint athletes reaction times and overall sprint time detection methods have improved dramatically since the original 1896 Olympic Games.
      Were false starts previously allowed?
      Before 2003, athletes were allowed one false start and were automatically disqualified on the second.
      In 2003 the rules were changed to “one-and-done” – meaning one false start was allowed per race in events up to 400 metres.
      This means the athlete making the second false start of a race, breaking the accepted RT of 0.10 seconds, will be disqualified regardless of whether he or she was responsible for the first one.
      However, sprinters would often take advantage of the previous false start rules, purposely jumping the gun either to play mind games with their competition and set them on edge before the race or use the extra leniency to predict the gun and gain bonus milliseconds from their efforts.
      So in 2010, World Athletics just decided to ban any false starts in the 100m, 200m, relay and hurdles – it’s one and YOU’RE OUT.
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      Famous false starts at previous track and field events
      Zharnel Hughes
      Zharnel Hughes is disqualified from the 100m at the Tokyo 2020 OlympicsCredit: PA
      It was heartbreak for Team GB’s Zharnel Hughes at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics as he went off far too early in the 100 metre final.
      The first Brit to make the final in 21 years blamed his false start on cramp.
      Italy’s Lamont Marcell Jacobs won the race in 9.8 seconds.
      Usain Bolt
      Usain Bolt after disqualification at 2011 World ChampionshipsCredit: AFP
      At the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea, Usain Bolt, 100 metre world record holder, jumped the gun in the 100m final over a year after the new regulations had been put into place.
      Bolt walked off the track, head in hands, only to watch his Jamaican teammate Yohan Blake take the gold.
      Jon Drummond
      A race official shows Jon Drummond the red card after his false start at the 2003 World Athletics Championships in ParisCredit: AP:Associated Press
      Drummond’s infamous “I did not move!” plea after his disqualification at the 2003 World Athletics Championships in Paris.
      Drummond protested his disqualification by storming into the infield, repeatedly yelling in front of officials and laying on the track.
      His tantrum delayed the 100 metre final by ONE HOUR. 
      Linford Christie
      Linford Christie walking back to his starting blocks after disqualification at the 1992 Barcelona gamesCredit: Reuters

      The 1992 Olympic 100 metre champion was disqualified under an even older false-start rule.
      Before 2003, any sprinter could false start once and get away with just a warning however Christie reacted early twice, delayed the competition and refused to leave the track.
      This was the first time a previous champion was unable to defend his title live on TV.
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      Why is sprinting legend Usain Bolt not competing at Tokyo 2020 Olympics?

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      THE Tokyo Olympics is well underway – and we have a new 100m men’s champion.However, it doesn’t feel quite the same without Usain Bolt competing.
      Usain Bolt will be playing no part in this summer’s OlympicsCredit: Reuters
      Why isn’t Usain Bolt at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics?
      Usain Bolt will not be at the Tokyo Olympic Games because he has retired.
      The Jamaican, who would be competing in Tokyo at the age of 34 if he had continued, last raced at the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London.
      There, he picked up a bronze medal after being beaten by American duo Christian Coleman and Justin Gatlin.
      That marked the first time he had been beaten in a sprint final since the 4x100m relay at the 2007 World Championships.
      And in the 4x100m in London, Bolt pulled his hamstring and was carried over the line in agony by his Jamaican team-mates in his final ever race.
      Trayvon Bromell is favourite to win the men’s 100m in TokyoCredit: AFP
      A year later, Bolt attempted to live a lifelong dream of pursuing a career in football as he signed for Australia’s Central Coast Mariners.
      However, after eight weeks he was unable to agree a contract extension and said: “My sports life is over.”
      He added that it was “fun while it lasted,” saying he “really enjoyed just being in a team and it was [much] different from track and field.”
      Bolt concluded: “I’m just doing many different things … the sports life is over, so I’m now moving into different businesses.
      “I have a lot of things in the pipeline, so as I say, I’m just dabbling in everything and trying to be a businessman now.”
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      Israeli Olympic baseball team issue grovelling apology after ‘disrespecting’ Tokyo hosts with ‘childish bed prank’

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      ISRAEL’S Tokyo 2020 baseball team have issued an apology after a video was posted on social media of them destroying one of their ‘cardboard beds’.Team Israel shared a clip of them testing out the strength of the beds, which are claimed to have been designed to discourage athletes from having sex.
      Team Israel jumped on one of their cardboard beds to test out its strength
      Israel’s baseball team have apologised after they were criticised for showing disrespect
      It was believed that the beds would collapse if any of the Olympians engaged in shenanigans, though this rumour has been dispelled.
      Irish gymnast Rhys McClenaghan posted a video of him jumping on his bed which withstood the pressure.
      But Team Israel went one step further after NINE members of their squad jumped on the bed in a now-deleted TikTok clip.
      American-born star Ben Wanger shared the footage which showed one player jumping on the bed with more and more joining.
      And their prank proved to be a hit and miss with fans who accused them of disrespecting their Tokyo hosts by destroying furniture that was assigned to them.
      Wanger then took to TikTok to issue a grovelling apology, he said: “We meant no disrespect and just wanted to show off how effective and sturdy the beds are in the Olympic Village.
      “We actually enjoy sleeping on these beds and think they are a great and sustainable option for future Olympics.”
      Israel team manager Peter Kurz then came out and condemned the video.
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      In a now-deleted TikTok, Ben Wanger shared footage of the destroyed bed

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      He remarked: “The players committed a childish prank.
      “They apologised and expressed remorse over the mischievous act.”
      Despite the speculation over the strength of the beds, manufacturer Airweave claimed they can support around 440lbs of strength.
      Israel suffered a 11-1 defeat against South Korea on Monday, though they still have a chance of reaching the semi-finals.
      They will pit their wits against the Dominican Republic in the first repechage game on Tuesday.
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      Athletes under investigation for boozing in Olympic village park and breaking strict coronavirus rules

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      TOKYO 2020 organisers have declared that they have launched an investigation after a group of athletes were caught drinking in the Olympic Village.Olympians staying at the accommodation complex have been banned from consuming alcohol outdoors as a precaution against coronavirus.
      Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto has stated an investigation has been launched after athletes were caught drinking in the Olympic VillageCredit: Reuters
      Organisers have previously stated that athletes are only permitted to drink alcohol alone in their rooms to avoid the spread of Covid-19.
      But on Friday night, a group of unnamed individuals were caught breaking the rules by boozing at the Tokyo Bay complex.
      Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto has since spoken of the incident where he revealed that the situation is being looked into.
      Speaking at a press conference, he said: “On the night of July 31, multiple athletes and members of the delegation were at the park within the village.
      “And they were drinking alcohol and we are aware of this fact.
      “Currently, we are investigating the situation and, based on the results, we will take the appropriate action.”
      He also claimed that police were called to the scene, though it is unclear whether the officers took any action.
      Team GB race walker Tom Bosworth has hit out at Tokyo organisers after branding his accommodation in Sapporo – outside of the village – as a ‘prison’.
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      The men’s and women’s race walks and marathons have been moved 500 miles north of Tokyo to avoid the harsh and hot Japanese summer climates.
      In a now-deleted tweet, Bosworth blasted: “Hey IOC Media – you know the millions of money bag (sic) you make off the Olympics?
      “Any chance in the week of our race we could get some food? Like meals? Not cold slop, steamed onions or partly cooked pasta? This is the ‘pinnacle of sport’.
      “Sapporo feels like a prison. Welcome to the sweaty school dining hall that a lifetime of hard work gets you. IOC Media – any chance you could be a little athlete focused?
      “Any chance we could have some where to get some fresh air aside from the 900m training lap we have? A cup of coffee wouldn’t go a miss.”
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      Transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard OUT of Tokyo Olympics after failing all three attempts in first Games appearance

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      TRANSGENDER athlete Laurel Hubbard is OUT of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after failing to record a successful snatch.The New Zealander made history this afternoon by becoming the first transgender athlete to compete in an individual event at the Games.
      Laurel Hubbard braces herself to lift 120kgCredit: GETTY
      But the Kiwi failed to nail her opening attemptCredit: GETTY
      Hubbard’s second attempt was scratched off as she slightly pressed the barCredit: EPA
      Hubbard reacts after failing her third liftCredit: Getty
      A dejected Hubbard waves to the crowd after failing her third liftCredit: EPA
      A staggering 120kg was placed on the Olympic bar for Hubbard to snatch above her head for her first lift.
      The 43-year-old, however, was unable to adequately stabilise the weight after a decent lift off.
      Hubbard, who was competing in the over 87kg division, then failed her following attempts at 125 and 130kg.
      The Kiwi’s third failure sent her crashing out of the tournament as athletes are not allowed to proceed to the clean and jerk portion of the competition without recording a successful snatch.
      Hubbard was visibly devastated but showed her class by bowing to the officials and those in attendance in the crowd.
      Before walking back to the warm-up room, she looked at the camera and said: “Thank you.”
      After her early exit, Hubbard said: “I’m not entirely unaware of the controversy which surrounds my participation at these Games.
      And as such, I would particularly like to thank the IOC, for I think really affirming its commitment to the principles of Olympism and establishing that sport is something for all people, that it is inclusive and is accessible.”
      Thank youLaurel Hubbard after her third snatch attempt
      Hubbard has been eligible to lift at the Olympics since 2015, when the IOC began permitting transgender athletes to compete as women if their testosterone levels were below 10 nanomoles per litre for at least a year before competition.
      Many scientists and athletes, however, criticised the guidelines, insisting the Hubbard had an unfair advantage due to her body having years of the physiological benefits of testosterone.
      Belgian weightlifter Anna Vanbellinghen was one of the few athletes to come out and lambast the decision, which he branded a ‘bad joke’.
      She said: “I understand that for sports authorities nothing is as simple as following your common sense and that there are a lot of impracticalities when studying such a rare phenomenon.
      “But for athletes, the whole thing feels like a bad joke,” Vanbellinghen added.
      “Life-changing opportunities are missed for some athletes — medals and Olympic qualifications — and we are powerless.”
      Hubbard was grateful for the opportunity to compete in the games and thanked the IOC the day before her exit.
      She said: “The Olympic Games are a global celebration of our hopes, our ideals and our values.
      “I commend the IOC for its commitment to making sport inclusive and accessible.”

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      Hubbard transition from male to female in 2012 and underwent hormone therapy that year.
      Five years after making the transition, she returned to competition at the Australian International & Australian Open in Melbourne.
      Hubbard, the daughter of former Auckland Mayor Dick, left the competition with a gold medal after snatching 125kg and clean and jerking 145kg at a bodyweight of 131.83kg.
      Laurel Hubbard becomes first transgender weightlifter to compete at Olympics after overcoming career-threatening injuru More