The International Olympic Committee defended its decision to allow two boxers who failed gender tests to take part in the Paris Summer Olympics.
Boxing on Thursday was marked by controversy when Algeria’s Imane Kherif, who was disqualified from last year’s world championships because of high testosterone levels, beat Angela Carini in just 46 seconds.
The Italian was hit hard in the first bout but returned to her corner to readjust her headgear.
But just a moment later she gave up and tearfully refused to shake Kherif’s hand.
Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting, who was also disqualified at last year’s New Delhi Games, has also been allowed to compete and will start on Friday. And now the IOC has responded to criticism of the participation criteria.
“Everyone has the right to play sport without discrimination,” it reads. “All athletes taking part in the boxing tournaments at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games shall comply with the participation and entry requirements of the competition and all applicable Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU) medical regulations.
The authorities further added that “the gender and age of the athletes are determined by their passports,” and also said that both athletes had previously competed in Tokyo. “We have confirmed the misleading information in the reports regarding the two female athletes who will compete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” they added.
“Both fighters have participated in international boxing competitions in the women’s category for many years, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships and IBA-sanctioned tournaments.”
The IOC said: “These two fighters were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA. They were suddenly disqualified without due process at the end of the 2023 IBA World Championships.”
Kherif, a former African champion, had competed in the lightweight division in Japan three years ago. But she lost in the quarterfinals to Kerry Harrington of Ireland.
Since today’s match, the Algerian Olympic Committee released its own statement defending Kherif, saying “such an attack on her personality and dignity is extremely unfair, especially as she prepares for the pinnacle of her Olympic career.”
Meanwhile, Yuting was defeated in the 16th round of the featherweight bout by Filipino boxer Nessy Petecio. Like Kherif, she won World Cup gold in Istanbul two years ago and reached the final in India last year.
