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Olympics chief Thomas Bach rejected the suggestion the inclusion of Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting at the Games has been prioritised over fairness and the safety of other female boxers.
Algeria middleweight Khelif and Chinese Taipei featherweight Lin were disqualified by the International Boxing Association (IBA) from last year’s World Championships after failing gender eligibility tests.
But no concrete proof has been given, while the IBA was expelled last year over financial and corruption concerns by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which is overseeing boxing at Paris 2024.
Khelif and Lin are into the gold medal matches in their respective weight categories but the issue has mushroomed to the extent former US President Donald Trump and author JK Rowling have weighed in.
Two of Lin’s most recent opponents have made ‘X’ symbols with their index fingers in the ring after their defeats, which is thought to be a reference to female XX chromosomes.
But IOC president Bach reiterated his support for Khelif and Lin, as he said: “This is not a question of inclusion, this has never played a role in all this, this is a question of justice: women must be allowed to take part in women’s competitions. And the two are women.
“It is not as easy (as those) in this cultural war may want to portray it, that the XX or XY is the clear distinction between men and women.
“This is scientifically not true anymore. Therefore these two are women and they have the right to participate in the women’s competition. This has nothing to do with inclusion in any way.”
The IOC confirmed Khelif and Lin had “complied” with entry regulations although the organisation abolished gender verification testing at the turn of the century due to scientific advice, as well as its intrusive nature, potentially – as Bach noted – violating an athlete’s human rights.
Asked whether the IOC would revisit the gender issue, Bach said: “If someone is presenting us a scientifically solid system how to identify men and women, we are the first ones to do it.
“We do not like this uncertainty, we do not like it for the overall situation, we would be more than pleased to look into it.
“But what is not possible is that somebody saying ‘this is not a women’ just by looking at somebody or falling prey to a defamation campaign by a not credible organisation with highly political interests.”
Bach revealed a decision on boxing’s inclusion at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles will be made in the first half of next year, adding: “The IOC will not organise boxing in LA without a reliable partner.”
Bach’s term as IOC chief ends in 2025 and he confirmed “there will be elections one way or the other” without mentioning whether he would stand – he is set to reach his 12-year term limit but has previously not dismissed the possibility of standing again.
The 70-year-old hailed the past couple of weeks as a “love story” and “exactly the Games we envisaged…I think we can truly say these Olympic Games, Paris 2024, are the Olympic Games of a new era”.
Paris is preparing to pass the Olympic torch to LA, which does not have the landmarks of the French capital such as the Eiffel Tower, leading Bach to remark the city must take a “different approach”.
Bach added: “Each edition of the Games has to be different. If LA would like to copy the Eiffel Tower, it would be a recipe for disaster. Each Olympic Games have to be authentic, have to be creative and show the culture of the host country and the host city and be open to share this with the world.”
