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Did Imane Khelif really fail a gender test? IOC statement casts doubt as IBA contradicts its previous stance
Imane Khelif has been the center of boxing controversy after her fight with Angela Carini at the Paris Olympics 2024. The Algerian boxer, who has largely been criticized over having failed the gender test conducted by the IBA (International Boxing Association) last year, was handed the victory after Carini withdrew from the fight, citing she couldn't continue after receiving a hard punch.
Alongside Khelif, Lin Yu Ting of Taiwan, who is also competing at the Paris Olympics, is also alleged to have failed the gender test. According to IBA, the boxers failed ‘two trustworthy tests’ conducted by independent laboratories in 2022 and 2023 to check gender eligibility. However, the specific details of the tests haven't been made available.
When the boxers were banned during the final stages of the 2023 World Championships, the IBA President Umar Kremlev claimed that the two athletes had ‘XY' chromosomes.
"According to the results of the tests, it was proved that they have XY chromosomes. Such athletes were excluded from competition,” Kremlev told told Russian news agency Tass at the time, per NBC News.
However, in a statement IBA released this week following the controversy, it claimed that the boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu Ting did not ‘undergo a testosterone’ examination. The statement added that it was 'a separate and recognized test’ and its details and results were ‘confidential’.
The IBA, which has been accused of bribery and scandals, does seem to be contradicting itself and the ban of Khelif and Yu Ting by not revealing the details of the tests. However, the two boxers did have a chance to challenge the organization's decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Khelif had initially appealed but withdrew later while Lin Yu Ting didn't appeal.
What is the IOC's stand on Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting?
The boxing tournament at Olympics is managed by IOC's Paris Boxing Unit, which stated that they decide the ‘gender and age of the athletes based on their passport’.
"The current aggression against these two athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision, which was taken without any proper procedure — especially considering that these athletes had been competing in top-level competition for many years," the IOC statement read.
IOC also cited the IBA minutes which state that the decision of banning the two boxers was initially taken by the Organization’s Secretary General and CEO.
"According to IBA minutes available on their website, this decision was initially take solely by the IBA Secretary General and CEO. The IBA Board only ratified it afterwards and only subsequently requested that a procedure to follow in similar cases in the future be established and reflected in the IBA Regulations," the statement added.
Both Imane Khelif and Lee Yu Ting have been allowed to participate in the Paris Olympics despite criticism from some sections and have won their respective first matches. IOC continues to maintain its stand that the boxers follow the eligibility rules to compete in women's competitions.
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