Algeria’s Imane Khelif (L) and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan (R)
The IOC’s stance comes in the wake of its decision last year to strip the IBA of its international recognition, following concerns over governance issues.
International Olympic Council (IOC) chief has extended his support to boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, stating that both athletes were born, raised, and recognized as women legally and professionally.
Controversy erupted around the eligibility of Algeria’s Khelif and Lin in the ongoing Paris Olympics who were previously disqualified from the 2023 World Championships for failing the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) eligibility criteria.
The controversy gained significant attention after Khelif’s swift victory over Italy’s Angela Carini in a welterweight Round-of-16 bout, completed in just 46 seconds. The debate intensified as the IOC’s decision to allow Khelif and Lin to compete in Paris drew scrutiny and sparked a broader conversation about gender and eligibility in sports.
Addressing the media on Saturday, Bach affirmed the IOC’s stand for the participation of Khelif and Lin in the Paris Games and dismissed any doubts about their gender identity.
“Let’s be very clear here. We are talking about women’s boxing, and we have two boxers who were born as women, who have been raised as women, who have a passport as women, and who have competed for many years as women. And this is the clear definition of a woman,” Bach stated.
Bach condemned the backlash and hate speech directed at the athletes, both online and in public discourse. He criticised those attempting to redefine the criteria of womanhood for seemingly political purposes.
“What we see now is that some want to own the definition of who is a woman. And there I can only invite them to come up with a scientific-based new definition of who is a woman,” he said.
The IOC’s stance comes in the wake of its decision last year to strip the IBA of its international recognition, following concerns over governance issues.
The IBA’s rules exclude athletes with male XY chromosomes, medically considered as biologically male, from competing in women’s events, which led to the disqualification of Khelif and Lin despite their longstanding status as female competitors.
(With Agency Inputs)
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