The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has defended the two female boxers at the heart of a gender row at the Paris Olympics, saying they are “saddened by the abuse” the athletes are facing.
Despite the fact neither of the women are transgender, celebrities online who are against trans inclusion in sport have railed against the pair.
Algerian Imane Khelif defeated her Italian rival Angela Carini in just 46 seconds overnight, while Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting is scheduled to fight tonight.
Khelif is one of two boxers permitted to fight at the Olympics despite being disqualified from the women’s world championships last year for failing gender eligibility tests.
“The current aggression against these two athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision, which was taken without any proper procedure – especially considering that these athletes had been competing in top-level competition for many years,” the IOC said.
“The IOC is saddened by the abuse that the two athletes are currently receiving,” it added. “Every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination.”
Both boxers have fought at the top level of boxing for many years, Yu-ting twice holding world titles, and were cleared by the IOC to compete in Paris. Both fought at the Tokyo Olympics, in an era before gender issues in sport had become a fiery touchpoint on social media.
They were last year banned from competing in bouts sanctioned by the International Boxing Association (IBA), a decision the IOC says lacked due process.
“These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA,” the IOC said in a statement. “Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process.
Last year both fighters were disqualified from the world championships, with the IBA president, Umar Kremlev, saying that DNA tests had “proved they had XY chromosomes and were thus excluded”. XY is the combination of chromosomes in males, while XX is the combination in females.
“According to the IBA minutes available on their website, this decision was initially taken solely by the IBA Secretary General and CEO.”
In a statement earlier in the week, the Russian-led IBA said said the pair “did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognised test, whereby the specifics remain confidential”.
“This test conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors,” the boxing organisation added.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams said on Monday: “These athletes have competed many times before for many years, they haven’t just suddenly arrived – they competed in Tokyo.”
British author JK Rowling and billionaire Elon Musk have posted on social media expressing their opposition to the boxers competing, without acknowledging that both are cis women.
The Algerian Olympic Committee voiced support for Khelif while condemning “the unethical targeting and maligning of our esteemed athlete”.
They added that “certain foreign media outlets” were responsible for attacks on her personality and dignity.
Her next opponent, Hungarian Luca Anna Hamori, said was prepared. “I will go to the ring and I will get my win. I trust my coaches and I trust myself.”
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