The International Olympic Committee (IOC) defended Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Chinese Taipei's Lin Yu-ting anew on Friday, calling out "misinformation" against the athletes competing in the women's division of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
The scrutiny came after the two boxers got their ticket to the Olympic Games, even after the International Boxing Association (IBA) disqualified them during the World Championships for failing to meet eligibility criteria.
The IOC though on Friday, declared the two boxers were victims of a sudden decision and were disqualified "without any due process".
The widespread public debate regarding the qualifications of Khelif and Yin to compete in the women's division has also ignited the fire between the IOC and IBA--the former handler for Olympic Games boxing.
It isn't pretty.
How it all blew up in 46 seconds
The issue quickly spread into public conversation in Khelif's round of 16 match in the women's 66kg against Italy's Angela Carini.
The Italian absorbed a right punch to the nose and withdrew after 46 seconds. She was downcast, neither meeting Khelif's eyes afterwards nor shake her hands.
Instead, Carini went down on her knees inside the ring and cried.
The Italian later said she withdrew because of the intense pain in her nose.
[ALSO READ: Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who faced gender test issues, wins after opponent quits in Paris 2024]
This immediately prompted questions, scrutiny, and criticism regarding Khelif.
Her Olympics page had specifically mentioned she was disqualified just hours before her gold medal match in the 2023 World Championships in India, after her elevated levels of testosterone failed to meet the eligibility criteria.
It should also be noted that changing gender is illegal in Algeria.
Khelif is not the only boxer in question.
Chinese Taipei's Lin Yu-ting was stripped of her bronze medal in the same World Championship after failing to meet eligibility requirements based on the results of a biochemical test.
It was the first time a Chinese Taipei athlete had been required to take a biochemical test for gender eligibility since the International Boxing Association (IBA) started to use the new testing method, her Olympics page noted.
IBA: Boxers failed eligibility criteria and did not press their case
On July 31, a day before Khelif's match, IBA explained why Khelif and Lin were disqualified from the 2023 World Championships.
"This disqualification was a result of their failure to meet the eligibility criteria for participating in the women’s competition, as set and laid out in the IBA Regulations. This decision, made after a meticulous review, was extremely important and necessary to uphold the level of fairness and utmost integrity of the competition," the statement read.
IBA however, did not specify what test was conducted.
"The athletes did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized 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 organization added.
On March 25, 2023, IBA Head of Sport Marko Petric presented to the board the case of the two boxers, who reportedly failed to meet eligibility rules after a test conducted by an independent laboratory.
The decision to disqualify both athletes was made by then-IBA Secretary General and CEO George Yerolimpos, according to the minutes of the Board of Directors meeting.
But why was this done when the boxer were already going through the tournament?
"IBA Secretary General and CEO explained that testing was conducted upon the request of the Technical Delegate and Medical Jury of the Championships," the minutes stated. "The results became available in seven days and the IBA Secretary General and CEO, acting on behalf of IBA, notified the athletes immediately about their disqualification, giving them twenty-one days to appeal the decision to Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)."
Apparently, a similar testing was conducted by a different independent laboratory during the 2022 World Boxing Championships in Turkey.
"However, the results were received only upon conclusion of the event, hence the athletes were not disqualified back then," the minutes read.
The proposal was ratified via majority vote with one abstention and one vote against.
IBA further emphasized that Lin did not appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Meanwhile, Khelif initially made an appeal, but later withdrew it.
These actions made the decisions legally binding, according to IBA.
IOC: This is not a transgender issue. They are eligible and have been competing for years.
IOC spokesperson Mark Adams faced the media on August 1 before Khelif's first match to address the matter.
He made sure to emphasize the boxers are not transgender.
"And by the way, should make this absolutely clear for everyone--this is not a transgender issue. I know you know that but I think there has been some misreporting on this. And I think it's very, very important to say that this is not a transgender issue. These women have been competing in competitions for many years," Adams said.
The IOC pointed out that Khelif and Lin are women in their passports and they have competed in Tokyo 2020.
"Everyone competing in the women's category is complying with the competition eligibility rules. They are women in their passports and it is stated that is the case," Adams said. "They are eligible by the rules of the federation, which was set in 2016, and which worked for Tokyo too, to compete as women, which is what they are. And we fully support that."
Khelif previously reached the quarterfinals of the lightweight (60kg) division in Tokyo 2020, losing to Ireland's Kellie Harrington. She was also a silver medalist at the light welterweight category (63kg) at the 2022 World Championships, the first female Algerian boxer to win a world championship medal.
She qualified for Paris 2024 after beating Alcinda Panguana (MOZ) in the final of the 2023 African Olympic qualification tournament.
Meanwhile, Lin is a three-time world champion medalist. She was actually beaten by the Philippines' Nesthy Petecio in the round of 16 during Tokyo 2020.
Lin eventually won gold in the 2022 Asian Games.
"These (questions over transgender boxers fighting in women's games) involves real people. And we're talking about real people's lives here. They have competed and they continue to compete in the women's competition. They have lost and they've won against other women throughout, over the years," Adams said.
IBA condemns inconsistencies in eligibility
As the issue blew up, IBA reiterated its stance.
"IBA remains committed in ensuring competitive fairness in all of our events, we absolutely condemn the inconsistencies in eligibility to compete in the boxing competition held in the Olympic Games Paris 2024. To reiterate, both Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting post testing, did not meet the required eligibility criteria to compete within the female category of our respective events," the organization stated on August 1.
IBA also questioned how World Boxing allowed Khelif to compete in two further tournaments back in April and May.
"We absolutely do not understand why any organisation would put a boxer at risk with what could bring a potential serious injury within the ‘Field of Play’ (FOP)," IBA stated.
"The IBA will never support any boxing bouts between the genders, as the organization puts the safety and well-being of our athletes first. We are protecting our women and their rights to compete in the ring against equal rivals, and we will defend and support them in all instances; their hopes and dreams must never be taken away by organisations unwilling to do the right thing under difficult circumstances."
IOC: Boxers were disqualified without any due process
The IOC also doubled down on its position.
"Every person has the right to practise sport without discrimination," the IOC said in a joint statement released on August 2.
They said all athletes in the boxing tournament comply with eligibility and entry regulations as set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU). The gender and age of the athletes are based on their passport.
The PBU used the same rules from Tokyo 2020. These were consequently based on post-Rio 2016 rules, which were in place before the suspension of the international boxing federation in 2019 and the subsequent withdrawal of its recognition in 2023.
"We have seen in reports misleading information about two female athletes competing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The two athletes have been competing in international boxing competitions for many years in the women’s category, including the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships and IBA-sanctioned tournaments," the IOC stated.
"These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA. Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process."
The IOC further pointed out that the disqualification was only taken solely by Yerolimpos (who was replaced in June). They also noted that the IBA itself stated it should "establish a clear procedure on gender testing".
"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 declared.
"Eligibility rules should not be changed during ongoing competition, and any rule change must follow appropriate processes and should be based on scientific evidence."
The IOC also said it was "saddened by the abuse that the two athletes are currently receiving", reiterating the organization's commitment to protecting human rights under the Olympic charter and the IOC Code of Ethics.
IOC vs IBA: Suspension and stripping recognition
It has been five years since the IOC suspended its recognition of IBA (formerly known as AIBA or Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur) as the international boxing federation due to corruption scandals.
Until 2019, IBA (or AIBA) sanctioned amateur boxing and handled the Olympic matches.
The organization was formally stripped of its status in 2023, becoming the first international federation to ever be expelled from the Olympic movement.
Earlier this April, CAS declared the federation had not complied with the conditions for recognition.
IBA had not increased its financial transparency, had not changed its process relating to referees and judges to ensure its integrity, and had not ensured the full and effective implementation of all the measures proposed by the “Governance Reform Group” established by the IOC, including a change of culture.
In effect, the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 boxing tournaments had to be organized by units set up by the IOC.
What happens next?
Khelif will compete in the quarterfinals of the women's 66kg on August 3, Philippine time, against Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary.
Lin will start her campaign in the 57kg round of 16 this August 2 against Sitora Turdibekova of Uzbekistan. There is a chance she could square off against Petecio again.
The IOC though declared it is in no position to handle boxing again in 2028.
If boxing is to remain in Los Angeles 2028, the IOC said national boxing federations should reach a consensus around a new international federation.
Story Summary:
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The IOC defended Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Chinese Taipei's Lin Yu-ting amidst public debate on their eligibility for the women's division at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, calling out misinformation and asserting that both athletes were disqualified without due process by the International Boxing Association (IBA).
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Khelif and Lin were disqualified by the IBA during the 2023 World Championships for failing eligibility criteria, with the IBA citing competitive advantages without specifying the tests conducted. Neither boxer pressed their cases further, making the disqualification legally binding according to the IBA.
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IOC spokesperson Mark Adams emphasized that this issue is not about transgender athletes, clarifying that both Khelif and Lin are women by passport and have competed in previous international competitions, including Tokyo 2020, in compliance with eligibility rules.
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The IOC criticized the IBA's arbitrary disqualification of Khelif and Lin, noting that eligibility rules should not change during competitions and should be based on scientific evidence, while also expressing sadness over the abuse the athletes are receiving.
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Following the suspension and eventual stripping of the IBA's recognition due to corruption and governance issues, the IOC organized the boxing tournaments for Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, but stated it is not in a position to handle boxing for the 2028 Olympics, urging national federations to form a new international federation.
[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital team. The summary was generated by AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]