An Olympics reporter was met with silence when he asked the women's weightlifting podium about Laurel Hubbard

• An Olympics reporter asked women's weightlifting medalists about Laurel Hubbard's participation.
• Hubbard is the first openly transgender athlete to compete at an Olympic Games.
• The question was met with silence. Eventually, the American lifter Sarah Robles declined to answer.

An Olympics reporter was met with an awkward silence when he asked the women's weightlifting podium about Laurel Hubbard.

The gold-medal winner, China's Li Wenwen, the silver medalist, Britain's Emily Campbell, and the bronze medalist, the US's Sarah Robles, were speaking at a media event after the +87-kilogram competition on Monday.

Li set Olympic records in the snatch (140 kilograms) and the clean and jerk (180 kilograms) to claim the championship with a 320-kilogram total lift. Campbell edged 0ut Robles by 1 kilogram with her total 283-kilogram lift.

The event was also notable because of Laurel Hubbard's participation. The New Zealand lifter failed to record a single lift but made history as the first openly transgender Olympian.

"There was a historic night here with Laurel Hubbard competing as the first openly transgender in an individual event," the reporter said at the press conference.

"I was wondering what you felt about that and what you felt that took place in your sport," the reporter asked the podium.

Campbell had been speaking, at length, but the reporter appeared to be asking all the athletes for their insights on Hubbard's participation in Tokyo.

At first, nobody answered.

Li was unfazed, Campbell did not move, and Robles sipped water.

Eight seconds passed before Robles said, "No, thank you."

Robles also made history as the first American woman to win two Olympic weightlifting medals. She had also won bronze at the 2016 Games in the +75-kilogram category.