The International Boxing Association (IBA) has confirmed that two fighters, Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan and Imane Khelif of Algeria, who are participating in Olympic women’s boxing, failed a gender chromosome test. This followed a press conference organized by the IBA to address the controversy surrounding these participants. Despite the test results, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has continued to allow them to compete against biological females, maintaining that both are women and dismissing the testing concerns.
The IBA CEO, Chris Roberts, highlighted that the tests revealed chromosomes that render both participants ineligible according to competition rules. Although both fighters had the chance to appeal these findings to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, neither did. IBA offered to cover the majority of the appeal costs.
The former Chair of the IBA Medical Committee, Dr. Ioannis Filippatos, underscored that biological facts cannot be altered. Despite the controversy, the IOC spokesperson Mark Adams reiterated that these athletes have competed in senior contests for six years without issues and remain eligible for the current contest.
As controversy continues, both Lin and Khelif have advanced to the semifinals, assuring them of medals. Their rapid victories over female opponents have further displayed the physical gap between men and women and the unfairness of allowing them to compete in womens boxing.