The first openly transgender female Olympian missed out on a medal after failing 3 times in her weightlifting event

• The weightlifter Laurel Hubbard missed out on a chance to make history at the Tokyo Olympics.
• She failed all three of her attempts, while China's Li Wenwen took the gold.
• Hubbard, who is transgender, was allowed to compete after a rule change by the IOC.

New Zealand's Laurel Hubbard missed her chance to be the first medal-winning transgender woman at an Olympic Games.

Hubbard failed all three of her lift attempts in the women's +87-kilogram weightlifting on Monday at the Tokyo Olympics, while Li Wenwen of China took the gold medal.

The 43-year-old Hubbard started with a weight of 120 kg but could not extend her legs and was forced to drop the bar behind her.

In her second attempt, Hubbard managed to lift 125 kg but had some difficulty, and the effort was failed by two judges to one.

In her third and final attempt, Hubbard was unable to lift the 125 kg weight.

Li set an Olympic record in both the snatch and the clean and jerk, winning gold with a combined score of 320 kg.

Hubbard, who began transitioning in 2012, was the first openly transgender female athlete to compete at the games after an International Olympic Committee rule change in 2015.

The new rule allows athletes who have transitioned from male to female to compete in women's sports provided they had identified as a woman for at least four years and kept their testosterone level below a certain level.

The New Zealander returned to competition in 2017 after a break of 16 years since competing in men's events. Her appearance at the Olympics was met with a mixed reaction.

Some critics, including fellow competitors, argued that her competing in Tokyo was unfair to cisgender athletes.

The New Zealand Olympic Committee, however, called Hubbard a "really important role model" who "opens up a conversation about inclusivity."