Diving - Olympics: Day 3
Tom Daley won gold in the 10m synchro at Tokyo 2020 (Picture: Getty Images)

Tom Daley has been the victim of homophobic insults on Russian state TV, with New Zealand’s transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard branded a ‘psychopath’.

Channel Rossiya 1 aired a number of homophobic slurs targeting Daley, including LGBT people described as an ‘abomination’ by one panellist who is a member of the Russian parliament.

Hubbard’s participation in women’s weightlifting in Tokyo was described as ‘smut and perversion’ by MP Alexei Zhuravlyov, who said he was ‘disgusted’ by LGBT people.

Spiridon Kilinkarov, a former member of the Ukrainian parliament, said: ‘I do not think transgender people have any prospects in Russia, because they love men, while Russian men love women.’

The New Zealander was also mocked on Channel One in Russia as a male presenter wore a wig to make fun of her.

Olympic chiefs will investigate anti-LGBT and homophobic slurs targeting Tom Daley and New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard on Russian TV Daley targeted in a show in which panellist called LGBT people an 'abomination' On another state channel, a host wore a wig to mock Kiwi trans athlete Hubbard IOC said it had contacted its broadcasting partner in Russia over the comments
Anatoly Kuzichev wore a wig to mock Laurel Hubbard (Picture: Channel One Russia/Ella Millward)

Anatoly Kuzichev also called transgender people ‘psychopaths’ who should be treated by psychiatrists.

epa09387825 Laurel Hubbard of New Zealand fails to lift 120kg in the first attempt during the Snatch portion of the Women's +87kg Group A Gold Medal event of the Weightlifting events of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, at Tokyo International Forum in Tokyo, Japan, 02 August 2021. EPA/MICHAEL REYNOLDS
Laurel Hubbard was victim to the attacks on Russian TV (Picture: EPA)

The International Olympic Committee has responded, contacting their broadcasting partners in Russia over the shocking comments and stating that ‘discrimination has absolutely no place at the Olympic Games.

In a statement provided to the BBC, the IOC wrote: ‘We have been in contact with our contractual broadcasting partner in Russia in order to get clarity on the situation and to underline the Fundamental Principles of the Olympic Charter and we are following up accordingly.’

They added: ‘Discrimination has absolutely no place at the Olympic Games. We welcome that Tokyo 2020 has embedded diversity and inclusion in the Olympic Games model.’