Paris Olympics Scandal: IOC Defies IBA, Supports Controversial Boxers in Gender Eligibility Clash
On Friday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) supported the inclusion of two boxers in the women's competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics, despite the International Boxing Association (IBA) demanding their removal due to failing gender eligibility tests last year.
The controversy intensified when Algerian boxer Imane Khelif's 46-second win at the Paris Olympics on Thursday brought gender eligibility rules under scrutiny. Khelif was disqualified last year, hours before her gold medal bout at the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, over “elevated testosterone levels,” according to her profile on the Paris Games website. Similarly, Lin Yu Ting from Taiwan was stripped of her bronze medal at the championship after undergoing “biochemical” tests mandated by the IBA.
The dispute between the IOC and the IBA escalated when the IOC expelled the IBA from the Olympic movement, following disagreements with IBA President Umar Kremlev, a Russian oligarch. The IOC cited issues with governance, financial transparency, and perceived corruption as reasons for withdrawing recognition of the IBA. Consequently, the IOC now relies on the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit, an ad-hoc committee established to set eligibility standards for the Olympics.
IOC Stands by Athletes
The IOC defended the two female boxers, asserting that they were victims of a “sudden and arbitrary decision” by the IBA. “Everyone competing in the women’s category is complying with the eligibility criteria,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams stated. “They are women in their passports, and it’s stated that is the case, and they are female.”
IBA Calls Out Inconsistency in Eligibility Criteria
The IBA reiterated its stance on removing the boxers from all events, condemning both the IOC and World Boxing, a newly formed international governing body for the sport, for permitting ineligible athletes to compete. The IBA justified the disqualification of Khelif and Lin at the World Championships in New Delhi last year after they failed to pass eligibility tests.
“The athletes did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test, whereby the specifics remain confidential,” read the IBA’s statement. “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.”
According to the IBA, the tests were conducted during the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Istanbul in 2022 and the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi.
The ongoing controversy has highlighted the complexities and challenges in setting gender eligibility criteria in sports, with both the IOC and IBA standing firm on their respective positions.