Gender Controversy In Paris Olympics Boxing: IOC Defends Athletes Amid Ongoing Debate

The ongoing gender controversy in boxing at the Paris Olympics continues to capture attention, despite the International Olympic Committee (IOC) supporting the athletes at the center of the debate—Algeria’s Imane Khelif (66kg welterweight) and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting (57kg featherweight). Both boxers have reached the semi-finals, securing medals in their respective categories.

IOC’s Support Amid Controversy

The IOC has consistently backed Khelif and Lin throughout the debate. On Saturday, IOC President Thomas Bach stated there “was never any doubt” that both fighters were women who had every right to compete in the Paris Olympics. On Sunday, the IOC criticized the International Boxing Association (IBA) for conducting flawed and illegitimate gender tests on the two athletes.

How It Started

The controversy began when Khelif won her first bout in just 46 seconds against Italy’s Angela Carini, leading to a social media uproar questioning the IOC’s decision to allow Khelif to compete. High-profile figures like author JK Rowling and billionaire Elon Musk expressed opposition to Khelif’s participation against other female boxers.

The ‘X’ Sign Incident

The debate was reignited by Svetlana Kamenova Staneva of Bulgaria after losing to Lin Yu-ting in the quarter-finals. Staneva made an ‘X’ symbol with her fingers post-bout, referencing her ‘XX’ chromosomes against the alleged ‘XY’ chromosomes in Lin’s DNA. This gesture underscored the ongoing gender debate and stirred further controversy.

Staneva had previously lost to Lin at last year’s World Championships, a result later overturned to a no-contest after Lin’s disqualification. Bulgarian boxing coach Borislav Georgiev alleged that the gender debate influenced the judges’ decision in favor of Lin, stating, “If your bosses are supporting something, you also work to support it. There’s no other way.”

IOC Defends the Judges

The Paris Boxing Unit (PBU), an ad-hoc unit established by the IOC’s Executive Board to organize the boxing competition in Paris, defended its referees and judges. The PBU emphasized its confidence in the selection process for referees and judges, which included multiple vetting steps, performance criteria, and a random draw. It further explained that each bout is independently evaluated by two individuals—one on the field and the other via video feed.

Targeting of Lin and Khelif

Lin and Khelif have faced significant scrutiny in Paris, partly due to their disqualification at the 2023 World Championships for unspecified gender eligibility rule violations by the IBA. The IOC, which took over the organization of the boxing tournament after stripping the IBA of international recognition in 2023, has been at the forefront of defending the athletes.

Calls for End to ‘Bullying’

Khelif has spoken out against the wave of hateful scrutiny over misconceptions about her gender, stating that it “harms human dignity.” She has called for an end to the bullying of athletes, highlighting the severe effects such actions can have.

“I send a message to all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes, because this has effects, massive effects,” Khelif said in Arabic during an interview with SNTV, a sports video partner of The Associated Press. “It can destroy people, it can kill people’s thoughts, spirit, and mind. It can divide people. And because of that, I ask them to refrain from bullying.”

The gender controversy in Paris boxing remains a hotly debated topic, with the IOC continuing to defend its athletes and the integrity of the competition amidst ongoing scrutiny and controversy.