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31st July 2024
05:32pm BST
The International Olympic Committee has confirmed that two boxers who were disqualified from the world championships last year for failing gender eligibility tests will be permitted to fight in Paris.
Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting and Algeria's Imane Khelif will commence their Olympic campaigns later this week.
Yu-ting will face an unnamed opponent in the 57kg category on Friday, while Khelif will take on Italian Angela Carini in the 66kg category.
DNA tests carried out at last year's world championships in Uzbekistan concluded that both competitors "had XY chromosomes and were thus excluded from the sports events."
The IOC, on the other hand, has now taken the controversial decision to ignore the IBA's ruling.
Now, JK Rowling has had her say on the matter as the Harry Potter author took to X to blast the Paris 2024 organisers.
She wrote: "What will it take to end this insanity? A female boxer left with life-altering injuries? A female boxer killed?"
What will it take to end this insanity? A female boxer left with life-altering injuries? A female boxer killed? https://t.co/2OGWUQYtU5
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 30, 2024
Despite acknowledging that both boxers did indeed fail gender tests just a matter of months ago, the IOC stated: "The PBU used the Tokyo 2020 boxing rules (enforced at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and the related qualifying tournaments) as a baseline to develop its regulations. Those rules descended from the Rio 2016 rules.
"The PBU endeavoured to restrict amendments to minimise the impact on athletes’ preparation and guaranteeing consistency between Olympic Games."
Lin Yu-ting was stripped of a bronze medal in the March 2023 event after failing a gender eligibility test.
Imane Khelif was disqualified in New Delhi for failing a testosterone level test.
Both competed at the delayed Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021 and Lin is a two-time winner at the Asian Women Amateur Boxing Championships.
Several big names in the world of boxing have criticised the IOC's decision.
Former world champion Barry McGuigan took to X and wrote: "It’s shocking that they were actually allowed to get this far, what is going on?"
It’s shocking that they were actually allowed to get this far, what is going on ? https://t.co/kOhsCBYUlb
— Barry McGuigan (@ClonesCyclone) July 29, 2024
Another former world champion, Ebanie Bridges, posted several times about the 'sickening' decision.
"Bruh… these transgenders competing in women's boxing at the the Olympics… male born transgenders, is f***ing sickening.
Bruh… these transgenders competing in women’s Boxing AT THE OLYMPICS… male born transgenders, is fucken sickening. It’s fucken disgusting that the Olympic committee would let these guys/girls who still look like men compete against women. And these biological men who want to…
— Blonde Bomber 🥊💁🏼♀️ (@EbanieBridges) July 30, 2024
"It's f***ing disgusting that the Olympic committee would let these guys/girls who still look like men compete against women," she added.
"And these biological men who want to compete in women’s boxing must be sadists or something because any man knows how much stronger they are than females and it’s also why a man hitting a women is so bad. The biological difference IS REAL. What the f***. Honestly unbelievable and sick.
"Who ever on the committee agreed to this clearly doesn’t f***ing box or isn’t a female who’s been hit full strength by a male same weight to feel the noticeable difference.
"I feel so sorry for the biological born women who have worked so hard to get to this point in there career to then have to compete against a trans who literally was disqualified for being a man. Like, wtf has this world come to? This ain’t about breaking records it’s about breaking skulls."
On Tuesday IOC spokesman Mark Adams said: "These athletes have competed many times before for many years, they haven't just suddenly arrived - they competed in Tokyo.
"The federation needs to make the rules to make sure that there is fairness but at the same time there is the ability for everyone to take part that wants to. That is a difficult balance.
"In the end the experts for each sport are the people who work in that. If there is a big advantage that clearly is not acceptable, but that needs to be a decision made at that level."
Khelif, the Algerian boxer at the centre of the controversy has hit back at critics accusing them of conspiring against Algeria.
According to The Guardian, Khelif told Agence France-Presse: "People have conspired against Algeria so that its flag doesn’t get raised and it doesn’t win the gold medal."
This is just the latest in a long line of controversies that has plagued the boxing at the Paris Games as the judges have found themselves in hot water due to some contentious eliminations.
