Olympic Games 2024: IBA, IOC, at war as gender firestorm erupts in Paris

The controversy surrounding transgender athletes at the Paris Games has taken an ugly turn with the International Olympic Committee and boxing’s governing body engaging in a war of words.

The International Boxing Association is at loggerheads with the International Olympic Committee over the biological firestorm that has exploded at the Paris Games.

The IOC is under fire after allowing Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu-Tin to compete as women in Paris _ just a year after the IBA banned the female duo from the world championships.

Yu-Tin and Khelif were disqualified for failing sex tests, with the IBA ruling the pair had the XY chromosome that, in their view, gave them an unfair advantage over other female opponents.

But the IOC has sensationally given the pair the green light, triggering mass outrage, with Australian boxing legend Jeff Fenech labelling the decision a disgrace and warning a female could suffer brain damage in the ring.

Australian captain Caitlin Parker on Wednesday called for female athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD) to be banned from fighting in women’s competitions.

Khelif will fight on Thursday - and could be on a collision course in the quarter-finals against Australia’s Marissa Williamson Pohlman - while Yu-Ting enters the ring on Friday at North Paris Arena.

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif fights

The IOC claims the pair are eligible to fight as they are listed as females on their passports. But the IBA has doubled down on their stance, saying neither Yu-Tin nor Khelif attempted to fight their world championships disqualification.

Adding to the tension between the bodies, the IOC took over the running of boxing at the Paris Olympics after removing the IBA over governance and corruption concerns.

Ironically, in trying to avoid any fresh boxing scandals, the IOC has created one.

Boxing could be axed as an Olympic sport for Los Angeles in 2028 _ and this issue may not help matters _ but the IBA rubbished any suggestion their testing process was flawed.

“Our Committees have rigorously reviewed and endorsed the decision made during the World Championships,” an IBA statement said.

“While IBA remains committed to ensuring competitive fairness in all of our events, we express concern over the inconsistent application of eligibility criteria by other sporting organisations, including those overseeing the Olympic Games.

“The IOC’s differing regulations on these matters, in which IBA is not involved, raise serious questions about both competitive fairness and athletes’ safety.”

Parker warned female athletes could be dangerously hurt in the ring if heavily punched by a transgender or DSD fighter.

Taiwan's boxer Lin Yu-Tang

The IOC has been heavily critical of the IBA’s governance, but the latter body says its handling of the biological brouhaha has been robust.

“This disqualification was a result of their failure to meet the eligibility criteria for participating in the women’s competition, as set and laid out in the IBA Regulations,” the IBA said.

“This decision, made after a meticulous review, was extremely important and necessary to uphold the level of fairness and utmost integrity of the competition.

“Point to note, the athletes did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognised test, whereby the specifics remain confidential.

“This test conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors.

“For clarification, Lin Yu-ting did not appeal the IBA’s decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), thus rendering the decision legally binding.

“Imane Khelif initially appealed the decision to CAS but withdrew the appeal during the process, also making the IBA decision legally binding.

“For clarification on why the IOC permits athletes with competitive advantages to compete in their events, we urge interested parties to seek answers directly from the IOC.”

Originally published as Olympic Games 2024: IBA, IOC, at war as gender firestorm erupts in Paris