The International Boxing Association (IBA) accused Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu‑ting (林郁婷) and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif of being ineligible to compete in women’s events based on blood test results that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee are in disagreement with.
The IBA held a press conference on Monday to address concerns regarding the eligibility of Lin and Khelif. Lin and Khelif underwent blood tests in 2022 and 2023, the results of which allegedly did not meet the eligibility criteria for women’s events, leading to them being disqualified from the IBA’s 2023 World Championships. The IBA did not provide any additional information, saying that they were not allowed to publish medical documents without the parties’ consent.
The IOC stripped the Russia-dominated IBA’s status as the sport’s governing body in 2022 due to lack of transparency and questionable practices including irregularity in financing, governance, ethics, refereeing, and judging.
The Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) responded to the incident by saying that political interference in sports activities violates the Olympic Games’ spirit of fairness and peace.
The Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee maintains that all athletes comply with the Olympic Games’ eligibility and all applicable medical regulations set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit. This sentiment was echoed in the IOC’s official joint statement regarding the matter posted last Friday. The IOC and Paris 2024 Boxing Unit say these two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA, and that every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination.