PARIS — The International Olympic Committee on Thursday defended its decision to allow two female boxers to compete at the Paris Games despite a gender controversy, saying the pair were facing “aggression” over an arbitrary decision.
Algeria’s Imane Khelif, who won a 16-round welterweight bout against Italy’s Angela Carini in 46 seconds, and Taiwanese double world champion Lin Yu-ting, who will compete on Friday, have been cleared to compete at the Games.
Khelif’s quick win over Carini, who decided to retire after a series of punches, has added to the pressure on the IOC for allowing Khelif and Lin to fight each other in Paris.
“The IOC is deeply saddened by the mistreatment that two athletes are currently experiencing,” the IOC said in a statement on Wednesday. “Everyone has the right to practice sport without discrimination.”
Khelif and Lin have been disqualified from the 2023 World Championships by the International Boxing Association after failing to pass an indeterminate gender eligibility test.
Last year, the IBA was stripped of its recognition by the IOC over governance and financial problems, and the Olympic body now runs the boxing competition in Paris.
The IOC said the IBA’s decision to disqualify boxers last year was arbitrary and was the main cause of the outrage that saw people including British author JK Rowling and billionaire Elon Musk speak out against their participation in the Games.
“These two athletes were the victims of an abrupt and arbitrary decision by the IBA,” the IOC said in its statement. “At the end of the 2023 IBA World Championships, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process.
“According to the IBA meeting minutes available on their website, this decision was initially made solely by the IBA Secretary General and CEO.”
The IBA released a statement on Wednesday saying both fighters failed “testosterone tests” last year but “must undergo a separate and accredited test” to be disqualified. The IBA said “the specifics of the test remain confidential” and declined to elaborate.
IBA President Umar Kremlev also posted a critical video on social media, in which he criticized IOC President Thomas Bach, the opening ceremony and the decision to allow Khelif and Lin to compete.
The IOC said this year’s qualifying rules are based on those for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and cannot be changed during competition.
“The current aggressive action against these two athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision, taken without any due process – especially considering that these athletes have been competing at the highest level for many years,” the IOC said.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
