Gender Eligibility of 2 Athletes Called into Question in Women's Boxing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boxing at Paris 2024 has been overshadowed by a row about the eligibility of two fighters in the women’s competition. What's more, Algeria’s Imane Khelif (top left) and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting (top right) are guaranteed at least bronze medals.

 

It has been claimed that the two boxers had failed gender tests and were disqualified from the International Boxing Association’s Women’s World Championships.

 

 

 

[Note: The disqualification was based on two tests performed during the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Istanbul 2022 and the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi 2023 on both athletes. 

 

For clarification: The Algerian initially appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but withdrew the appeal during the process, making the IBA decision legally binding. And the Taiwanese did not appeal the IBA’s decision to the CAS, thus also rendering the decision legally binding]. 

 

At the Paris Olympics, Italy’s Angela Carini had faced off against Imani Khelif on Thursday, in the welterweight (66kg) category, but lasted just 46 seconds. After taking two big punches to the face, Carini threw down her helmet and forfeited the bout, crying “this is unjust!”

 

Lin, meanwhile, won an unanimous decision Friday against Uzbekistan's Sitora Turdibekova in the featherweight (57kg) category, winning 5-0 in the three-round match – and advanced to the women’s boxing quarterfinals.

 

On Saturday, the Algerian boxer triumphed in a dominant 5-0 victory over Hungary's Luca Anna Hamori.

 

UK's Daily Mail reported that ahead of the bout, Hamori stated she was not fazed by the prospect of facing Khelif. "I'm not scared", Hamori said. "I don't care about the press story and social media. If she or he is a man, it will be a bigger victory for me if I win".

 

BBC too reported that Hamori had asserted that she did not "think it is fair". Post-match, she was again asked if she thought the fight was unfair, Hamori, who was booed into the arena, said: "I don't care about it".

 

And yesterday, Lin defeated Bulgaria’s Svetlana Staneva on an unanimous points decision to reach the semi-finals of the women’s 57kg category.

 

In fact, following the latter's loss, Staneva (right) had pointed to herself and twice made an "X" with her fingers, indicating that she has XX chromosomes and so, signifying she's a woman.

 

It is obvious that all those matches have been easy wins for two boxers having XY chromosomes against fighters with XX chromosomes. Meaning, the former have an unfair advantage.