The International Olympic Committee has issued a statement saying it is “deeply saddened by the mistreatment” that Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting have suffered since they attended the Paris Games.
Khelif made global news on Thursday when her Italian opponent Angela Carini retired after 46 seconds of the match after just a few shots had scored. She later said she felt severe pain in her nose and was struggling to breathe.
The inclusion of Taiwan’s Khelif and Yu-ting on the list has come under scrutiny after reports that both failed gender indeterminate tests because they have male chromosomes.
Both were disqualified from last year’s world amateur championships, an IBA competition, after failing to meet gender-related eligibility criteria. However, the IOC, which stripped the IBA of its Olympic status last year, called the decision “abrupt and arbitrary” and allowed both boxers to compete in Paris.
“These athletes have competed many times over many years, they didn’t just suddenly come here – they competed in Tokyo,” the spokesperson said.
And on Thursday evening, following the backlash following Khelif’s stoppage victory, the IOC released a lengthy statement addressing “misinformation” surrounding the situation.
The article reads: “We have seen reports of misinformation about two female athletes participating in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. These two athletes have participated in international boxing competitions for many years in the women’s category, including the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships and IBA-sanctioned tournaments.
“These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA. At the end of the 2023 IBA World Championships, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process. According to IBA minutes As stated on their website, this decision was initially made by the IBA Secretary General and CEO only. The IBA Board of Directors only ratified it later and only then requested that a procedure to be followed in similar cases in the future be established and reflected in the IBA Bylaws. The minutes also stated that the IBA should “establish a clear procedure for gender testing”.
“The current aggressive behaviour towards these two athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision, taken without any due process – especially considering that these athletes have been competing in top tournaments for many years. Such an approach is the opposite of good governance.
“The qualifying rules cannot be changed during the competition and any rule changes must follow appropriate procedures and be based on scientific evidence.
“The IOC is committed to protecting the human rights of all athletes participating in the Olympic Games in accordance with Olympic Charterthe IOC Code of Ethics and IOC Strategic Framework on Human RightsThe IOC is deeply saddened by the mistreatment the two athletes are currently suffering.
“The IBA has had its recognition revoked by the IOC in 2023 after being suspended in 2019. The revocation of recognition has been confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). See IOC statement after the ruling.
“The IOC has made it clear that it needs the National Boxing Federations to reach a consensus on a new International Federation for boxing to be included in the sports programme of the LA28 Olympic Games.”
