The International Olympic Committee has defended its decision to allow two female boxers – Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting – to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Khelif hit the headlines after defeating Italy’s Angela Carini in just 46 seconds as controversy erupted following the Algerian’s win, with many calling for her disqualification from the tournament.
Khelif and Yu-ting were disqualified from the 2023 World Championships after failing to meet International Boxing Association (IBA) eligibility rules. However, the IBA was stripped of IOC recognition last year due to governance and financial issues.
“These two athletes were victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA,” the IOC said in a statement. “At the end of the 2023 IBA World Championships, they were suddenly disqualified without due process.
“According to the IBA minutes available on their website, this decision was originally made solely by the IBA General Secretary and CEO.”
Some sports allow restricted testosterone levels for athletes in female competition, while others prohibit those who have gone through male puberty.
The IOC further stated that the eligibility rules were based on the Tokyo 2021 Games and therefore could not be changed during the competition.
“The current aggression against these two athletes is entirely based on this arbitrary decision, which was taken without any due process, especially considering that these athletes have been competing at the highest level for many years,” the IOC said.
“The IOC is saddened by the abuse these two athletes are currently receiving,” he added. “Every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination.”
Meanwhile, in a statement, the IBA highlighted “eligibility irregularities” at the Paris Olympics, saying the two boxers did not meet the criteria to participate in the women’s category.
“After testing, both Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting failed to meet the required eligibility criteria to compete in the women’s category of our respective events,” the body added.
“The urgent nature of the decision [to disqualify the boxers] was justified as the safety of our boxers is our highest priority.”
