The International Olympic Committee issued a statement on Friday defending Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting and Algeria’s Imane Khelif, two women boxers embroiled in gender controversy in Paris. Khelif first made headlines after her opponent, Italy’s Angela Carini, abruptly quit their match 46 seconds in on Thursday. Lin, on the other hand, beat Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova on Friday.
- The allegations: Lin and Imane are falsely accused of being transgender women. The allegations follow reports that both athletes failed an unspecified gender eligibility test at last year’s International Boxing Association (IBA) Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi, with officials claiming they had “competitive advantages over other female competitors.” Khelif’s opening victory quickly sparked strong reactions on social media, including from Donald Trump, Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling. Lin received similar reactions.
- What the IOC is saying: The IOC stressed that all athletes in the boxing tournament “comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit.” The sporting authority also slammed the allegations as “misleading information,” emphasizing that the athletes in question have been competing in the women’s category for years, including IBA tournaments. “These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA,” it added.
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