Olympics-No doubt boxers in gender dispute are women

4/8/2024 11:24

        Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwan's double world champion Lin Yu-ting are women who have every right to compete at the Paris Olympics despite a gender dispute that has overshadowed their competitions, the International Olympic Committee president said on Saturday.
        
        The pair were cleared to compete in Paris despite being disqualified at the 2023 World Championships after failing International Boxing Association eligibility rules that prevent athletes with male XY chromosomes competing in women's events.
        
        The IOC last year stripped the IBA of its status as boxing's governing body over governance issues, and took charge of the Paris 2024 boxing competition.
        Thomas Bach told a press conference, "We are talking about women's boxing. We have two boxers who were born as women, raised as women, who have passports as wo men and who have competed for many years as women and this is a clear definition of a woman."
        
        "There was never any doubt about them being women."