Piers Morgan slams transgender weightlifter competing against women for Olympics spot

Piers Morgan slams gold medal-winning transgender weightlifter for destroying women’s right to a fair go as she closes in on a berth at the Tokyo Olympics

  • Piers Morgan claims women’s sport is suffering because of transgender athletes 
  • He believes transgender women should not to compete in female divisions 
  • Trans weightlifter Laurel Hubbard won gold metals at a recent Olympics qualifier

Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard with two medals after a competition

Piers Morgan claims women’s sport is suffering because transgender athletes are competing in female divisions.

The UK broadcaster said ‘women’s rights to basic fairness and equality are getting destroyed at the alter of political correctness.’

The comments were in response to reports transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, 41, is one step closer to fulfilling her 2020 Olympic dreams.

The Kiwi athlete, who transitioned from a man to a woman in her 30s, won two gold medals at the Roma World Cup, the first Olympic qualifying event of the year. 

She previously competed in weightlifting as a man. 

She is hoping to compete at the Tokyo Olympics in the women’s super-lifting category.

But Morgan argued her admittance into the division automatically puts every other contender at a disadvantage.

‘Trans women born with biological male bodies have a massive physical advantage against women born with female bodies in any sport where power & strength are significant factors,’ he said.

Laurel Hubbard of New Zealand competes in the Women's +90kg Final during the Commonwealth Games

Laurel Hubbard of New Zealand competes in the Women’s +90kg Final during the Commonwealth Games

‘This shouldn’t be a contentious claim, it’s just a rather obvious fact.’ 

Male-to-female transgender athletes have been invited to compete in the Olympics since 2016 as long as they hit certain targets, including keeping their testosterone levels to a minimum.

Transgender athletes can compete in their chosen divisions without legally changing their gender or undergo surgery for eligibility.

The argument gaining the most traction regarding the competition is that people who are born a male – particularly those who go through puberty as a male – have an unfair advantage due to their genetic make up.

Piers Morgan said 'women's rights to basic fairness and equality are getting destroyed at the alter of political correctness'

Piers Morgan said ‘women’s rights to basic fairness and equality are getting destroyed at the alter of political correctness’

Three-time Australian Olympian Tamsyn Lewis previously said there are ‘too many unknowns’ to allow transgender women to compete against other women.

‘If you’ve grown up a male and had testosterone your bone structure is different to the female, your upper body strength is going to remain, you’ve got greater lung capacity, a larger heart size,’ she said.

‘There’s too many unknowns about how much going through puberty and being born a male is going to effect your result.’

But others believe transgender athletes are raising the bar for their competitors.

Transgender athletes can compete in their chosen divisions without legally changing their gender or undergo surgery for eligibility. Pictured during the Commonwealth Games

Transgender athletes can compete in their chosen divisions without legally changing their gender or undergo surgery for eligibility. Pictured during the Commonwealth Games

‘Trans athletes are fantastic,’ one person on Twitter responded to Morgan. 

‘They have increased women’s performance. Stop moaning, improve. Stop being transphobic and embrace these amazing female athletes. 

After winning the Pacific Games in 2019, Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said: ‘I really don’t think he – she – should ever participate in this tournament, but I realise we have to be inclusive and we cannot exclude these people.

‘They ought to participate in these games in their own category.’ 



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