International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach defended his decision to allow boxers Lin Yu-ting and Imane Khelif to compete in the women’s division at the Paris Games, stating that concerns about their gender identity are unwarranted. Both boxers have always competed as women and have identified as such. Questions about their eligibility arose after they were disqualified from competing with women at a global event the previous year but were cleared by the IOC for the Paris Games.
Angela Carini of Italy’s premature exit from her match against Khelif stirred controversy, with Carini leaving the fight in tears and refusing to shake hands. Bach reiterated that there was never a question about the gender identity of the two athletes, dismissing any doubts raised over their eligibility.
Khelif, who made her Olympic debut in Tokyo, has faced accusations of not meeting gender eligibility tests during a previous event, leading her father to defend her and denounce the attacks against her as unfair. Carini, on the other hand, cited a nasal injury as the reason for her early exit from her bout against Khelif.
Critics, including J.K. Rowling and Donald Trump, have condemned the IOC’s decision to allow Khelif to compete in the women’s division, while others have shown their support for the boxer. Algeria’s Minister of Youth and Sports Abderrahmane Hammad and soccer player Ismaël Bennacer have stood in solidarity with Khelif, denouncing the attacks on her gender identity as baseless.
The National Black Justice Collective and nonbinary Olympic American runner Nikki Hiltz have also spoken out in support of Khelif, emphasizing the athlete’s right to compete based on her talent and hard work. Khelif’s next match is slated to take place against Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori, while Lin Yu-ting is set to face Bulgaria’s Svetlana Kamenova Staneva.
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