The President of the Olympic Committee finally spoke out about the gender controversy of two female boxers suspected of being male: “They were born women and are listed in their passports”

Regarding the most intense gender controversy in boxing at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) affirmed: “There is no doubt that they are women.”

Olym pics to determine female boxers’ gender based on passports

On August 4, Mr. Thomas Bach – President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) – held a press conference at the Main Media Center in Paris, France to share about two female boxers Imane Khelif (Algeria) and Lin Yu Ting (Chinese Taiwan), who are at the center of the “gender controversy” at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“We are talking about women’s boxing,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. “Khelif and Lin Yu Ting were born and raised as women, raised as women, listed as women on their passports and have been competing for many years. We need to respect these women as women and as human beings. All women have the right to participate in women’s competitions.” 

The President of the Olympic Committee finally spoke out about the gender controversy of two female boxers suspected of being male: "They were born women and are listed in their passports" - Photo 1.

Childhood photos show that Imane Khelif (red shirt) was a woman since childhood, not a “transgender” athlete.

He also criticised the International Boxing Association as “an organisation we do not recognise that has defamed the Olympics and the IOC”. Last year, the IOC nearly expelled the IBA over controversies including biased refereeing, financial difficulties and match-fixing. Olympic boxing is organised by the Paris 2024 Boxing Union (PBU), a temporary body set up by the IOC.

Imane Khelif, a female 66kg boxer, and Lin Yu Ting, a female 57kg boxer, were disqualified by the International Boxing Association (IBA) after competing at the world championships held in New Delhi, India last year. The reason was that in the gender test, the two female boxers had XY chromosomes, which was considered “biologically male”. However, the IOC still allowed Imane Khelif and Lin Yu Ting to compete at the Olympics as female boxers.

The President of the Olympic Committee finally spoke out about the gender controversy of two female boxers suspected of being male: "They were born women and are listed in their passports" - Photo 2.

Two female boxers were criticized for having XY chromosomes, being considered “biologically male” but still being allowed to compete in women’s events.

The President of the Olympic Committee finally spoke out about the gender controversy of two female boxers suspected of being male: "They were born women and are listed in their passports" - Photo 3.

Imane Khelif wins Olympic bronze medal amid gender controversy

Because of this, the two female boxers received many negative reactions at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Italian female boxer Angela Carini – who faced Khelif in the round of 16, withdrew just 46 seconds after the match started because of 2 punches from Khelif. Khelif’s opponent in the quarterfinals also posted a satirical photo of Khelif as a horned muscle monster facing a slim woman wearing gloves. Meanwhile, Sitora Turdibekova (Uzbekistan) also cried when losing to Lin Yu Ting – an opponent with XY chromosomes – as a way to express her attitude about injustice. 

Despite the gender controversy, recently, Mane Khelif won a historic Olympic bronze medal for Algerian boxing at the Olympics. Angela Carini’s side, after a few days of calming down, also apologized to Khelif: “Khelif did nothing wrong by defeating me. She had nothing to do with this, and like me, was only here to compete. I need to apologize to Khelif and everyone. At that time, I was angry because my Olympic dream had gone up in smoke. I had no intention of going against her and if I happened to meet her again, I would hug her.”

“Human rights also need conscience”…

Olympic boxing is on the thin line between “human rights and conscience”. The IOC President’s call to protect the human rights of two female boxers with XY chromosomes sounds reasonable. However, many people also believe that the human rights of boxers facing two boxers with XY chromosomes should also be respected. Due to the nature of the sport of boxing, a female boxer will certainly have difficulty facing an athlete with the physique and DNA of a man.

That is why the IOC’s announcement that it would determine the gender and age of athletes based on their passports was criticized as irresponsible. Someone commented: “It is true that the human rights of transgender athletes must be respected, but sports must also follow their conscience.”

British author JK Rowling, who wrote Harry Potter, shared her opinion: “It’s a shame to trample on the dreams of female athletes by allowing male athletes to enter the ring.” 

The President of the Olympic Committee finally spoke out about the gender controversy of two female boxers suspected of being male: "They were born women and are listed in their passports" - Photo 4.

The President of the Olympic Committee finally spoke out about the gender controversy of two female boxers suspected of being male: "They were born women and are listed in their passports" - Photo 5.

President of the Paris 2024 Olympic Committee