One of the most discussed events of recent days at the 2024 Olympics is the permission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the participation of two transgender boxers in the women's competition at the Games in Paris. Sport provides details of the scandal and explains how sports officials got to this point.
Who are we even talking about?
- Lin YU-TING (Taiwan, 28 years old) — 2018 and 2022 world champion;
- Iman KHELIF (Algeria, 25 years old) — 2022 World Championship silver medalist.
Both athletes competed at the Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed until 2021. However, they gained more notoriety later when they withdrew from the world championship in India due to a failed gender test.
Expulsion from the World Championships
In 2023, at the World Championships in India, Khelif and Yuting failed a gender test that showed the presence of an XY chromosome and elevated testosterone in their bodies, and were suspended from the tournament. The Algerian Olympic Committee called the disqualification of its athlete part of a conspiracy aimed at preventing the country from taking gold, and also explained the incident by «medical reasons».
Then the president of the International Boxing Association (IBA) Umar Kremlev (the World Championships were held under the auspices of the organization) called the changes in world sports «demonic»:
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"It is wrong for remade men to fight women. This is direct infringement. We should not allow this. For us, this is demonic. This should not happen in sports at all. There are women's sports, there are men's sports — there should be no third. Each country has its own culture, its own values. We should not impose on countries how they should live. We must respect the values of each country and unite them with common values - the rules of boxing."
Successful admission to the Olympics
Don't be surprised — it turned out to be much easier to qualify for the Games. The IBA was stripped of the right to hold Olympic boxing competitions (now the Paris Boxing Committee is in charge), and the rules became more relaxed… The public is horrified, because the consequences of a meeting between a «man» and a woman in the ring can be catastrophic.
This is precisely why swimmer Nancy Hogshead, who won three gold medals and a silver at the 1984 Olympics, is sounding the alarm. Here's what the American writes on social media:
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"Iman Khelif and Lin Yuting are planning to compete in women's Olympic boxing – despite being disqualified last year for having XY chromosomes, a male phenotype. Let's remind ourselves that men – no matter what they call themselves – hit 162 percent harder than women. That's the biggest performance gap between men and women. Gender ideology will lead women to DEATH."
Hogshead's fellow countrywoman, swimmer Riley Gaines, who is widely known for her fight for women's rights in sports, is also outraged:
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«As if the satanic demonstration at the opening ceremony wasn't enough. The Olympic Games glorify men who punch women in the face with the intention of knocking them unconscious.»
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The day before, IOC Communications Director Mark Adams had to explain himself at a briefing:
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«Our rules have been in place since 2016, we used them at the Tokyo Olympics, and the eligibility rules are strictly followed. These athletes have been competing in Tokyo and other competitions for a long time, they met all the necessary standards.»
Meanwhile, one of the boxers is preparing to start fighting for medals at the Games today: Khelif, fighting in the welterweight division, will face Italy's Angela Carini. As for Yuting, the Taiwanese representative will compete in the featherweight division on Friday, sharing the ring with Sitora Turdibekova from Uzbekistan.
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