The International Boxing Association (IBA) held a chaotic press conference on Monday to address the controversy surrounding the gender eligibility of Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting, both of whom were banned from the 2023 World Championships due to failing gender eligibility tests. The issue has escalated, drawing significant attention during the 2024 Paris Olympics.
During the press conference, the IBA criticized the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for allowing Khelif and Lin to participate in the Olympics despite their failed tests. According to Dr. Ioannis Filippatos, former chair of the IBA’s medical committee, both boxers were found to have XY chromosomes, which, according to the IBA, provides them with a competitive advantage in women's competitions.
The IOC has claimed that the gender tests conducted by the International Boxing Association (IBA) on Algeria's Imane Khelif and Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting at last year's world championships that led to their disqualification, were illegitimate.#Paris2024 #OlympicGames #Boxing pic.twitter.com/whRx4oCvdr
— DW Sports (@dw_sports) August 4, 2024
The IBA's stance is that the integrity and fairness of women's boxing competitions must be upheld, and they accused the IOC of ignoring their findings. The IBA had previously been the governing body for Olympic boxing but was stripped of this status by the IOC in 2023 due to governance issues.
IOC President Thomas Bach defended the decision to allow Khelif and Lin to compete, condemning what he described as "hate speech" directed at the athletes. Bach emphasized that both athletes were born and raised as women and have been competing in women's sports for years. He argued that the definition of a woman should not be subject to politically motivated disputes and stressed the need to respect the athletes as human beings.
Dr. #IoannisPhilippatos, head of the #IBA medical committee and an obstetrician-gynecologist with 30 years of experience.
He said neither Lin nor Khalifa were biological women and criticised the #IOC for using passports to determine gender. pic.twitter.com/WtRpNVvbuM
— Your Liege (@relaityland) August 6, 2024
The controversy began when Khelif and Lin were disqualified from the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi in March 2023. The IBA cited confidential test results that indicated the athletes did not meet the required eligibility criteria for women's competition, although specific details of these tests were not disclosed.
Despite the IBA's disqualification, both athletes have performed exceptionally well at the Olympics. Khelif won her bout in just 46 seconds, and Lin secured a unanimous decision victory in her match, further fueling the debate over their participation.
This situation has highlighted the ongoing debate over gender eligibility in sports and the differing standards applied by various governing bodies. The IBA has called for consistency in applying these criteria to ensure fair competition and athlete safety.
The press conference has left many questions unanswered, and the IOC and IBA remain at odds over how to handle such sensitive issues. The controversy is likely to continue as both organizations navigate the complex intersection of gender, fairness, and competitive integrity in sports.
