For the very first time, a transgender athlete will compete in the summer Olympics ... and shocker, there's already controversy.
43-year-old Laurel Hubbard -- who transitioned from male to female in 2013 -- has been selected to the New Zealand women's weightlifting team to compete in the women's 87-kilogram division.
The issue?? Hubbard competed in mens weightlifting competitions before she transitioned -- and some critics are already blasting the situation as unfair to other athletes.
But the International Olympic Committee has specific guidelines for transgender athletes to compete -- testosterone levels must be below a certain level -- and Hubbard has met the criteria since 2015.