Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu‑ting (林郁婷) and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, both of whom are competing in this year’s Paris Olympics, have come under fire for previously failing unspecified gender eligibility tests conducted by the International Boxing Association (IBA). The International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued an official statement on Thursday saying “everyone has the right to engage in sports without discrimination.”
Khelif met Italian boxer Angela Carini in the ring during the 66 kg women’s boxing competition on Thursday. Carini withdrew from the match after 46 seconds, refusing to continue for her own personal safety. In March 2023, Khelif was disqualified from the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, with IBA president Umar Kremlev stating that “a separate and recognized test” indicated she had XY chromosomes. For similar reasons, Lin was also disqualified from the 2023 competition. Both athletes have been subject to media scrutiny and cyberbullying as a result.
In response, the IOC reiterated that all athletes participating in the boxing category meet eligibility and participation regulations, and are subject to all rules established by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU). They further noted that the PBU’s rules are based on those established for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were first implemented before the IOC suspended and ceased to recognize the IBA in 2019 and 2023.
The IOC went on to say that both Lin and Khelif were victims of arbitrary decisions by the IBA, and that aggression against both athletes is unfairly based on these decisions, which were made without any due process.
In 2023, Lin was the first Taiwanese woman boxer to win gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games, qualifying her for the Paris Olympics. She is set to compete in the 57 kg category against Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova on Friday.