Paris Olympics: Boxers at centre of gender row get booed at venue, targeted in media

Lin Yu-Ting became a boxer to ‘protect’ her mother from ‘domestic violence’. She did more than that — the southpaw became a Taiwanese sensation by winning two World Championships.

Friday was to be her big day; the first bout of her Paris Olympics campaign. But when she came out of the dark tunnel into the brightly-lit Paris du Nord Arena, all she could hear was boos. In the stand where team officials sit, someone whispered: “She is one of them.”

‘Them’ is female athletes with high testosterone levels.

For a second successive day, boxing wasn’t a topic of discussion at the Olympics but the boxer was. More specifically, their gender eligibility. On Thursday, Italy’s Angela Carini threw in the towel after only 46 seconds against Algeria’s Imane Khelif who, like Lin, has high testosterone levels. After her match, Angela said she had “never been punched so hard”. However, on Friday, she expressed regret at not shaking hands with her opponent after the bout.

And so, a decision taken last year in New Delhi — where Lin and Imane were banned from competing in the women’s section of the World Championships — and reversed in Paris, where they have been allowed, has triggered a heated debate. It centres around the rights of women, the rights of women with a combination of chromosomes found in men and the right to practise sport safely.

From heads of state to novelists, coaches to sports science experts, all have had their say on the issue that has been the biggest talking point at the Games.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni claimed the bout between Imane and Angela “wasn’t a fight among equals”. On Friday, in her meeting with International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, ‘the case of athlete Imane Khelif and the issue of rules to ensure fairness in sports competitions were also addressed,’ Meloni’s office said.

Later, Taiwan’s presidential office came out in support of their athlete, saying it was wrong that Lin has been ‘subjected to humiliation, insults and verbal bullying just because of your appearance and a controversial verdict in the past.’

Hours before Lin’s bout, IOC spokesperson Mark Adams called the issue a ‘minefield’ and added that Imane and Lin have been ‘offered mental support’ following the online abuse they’ve received over the last two days.

An Italian journalist said that in some sections of the media, traditional and social, Imane was referred to as ‘he’ with many claiming that she ‘walked like a man and sounded like a man’. Author JK Rowling had called Imane’s smile after the bout the ‘smirk of a male.’

Algeria’s Imane Khelif, right, defeated, Italy’s Angela Carini in their women’s 66kg preliminary boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo)

Different rules

Lin and Imane were disqualified from the 2023 World Championships, held in New Delhi, after failing the International Boxing Association’s eligibility rules. Umar Kremlev, the president of the boxing body — which is now derecognised by the IOC — told The Guardian that ‘DNA tests on the two boxers had proved they had XY chromosomes.’

XY is the combination of chromosomes in males, XX is the combination in females. The IBA said their rules ‘prevented athletes with male XY chromosomes competing in women’s events.’

The International Olympic Committee, which oversees the boxing competition through an autonomous body it formed, did not consider those tests and stood by the decision to allow the two boxers to compete.

“Are these athletes women? The answer is yes,” Adams told reporters. “The Algerian (boxer) was born female, registered as female, boxed as a female, and is a female on her passport. Scientifically, this is not a man fighting a woman.”

The issue of females with testosterone levels the same as men competing in women’s sports has been divisive in the sporting world. Caster Semenya, the South African track athlete, has been subject to many tests and eventually, World Athletics changed the rules that made her ineligible for short-distance women’s races.

However, it is argued that in contact sports like boxing, allowing athletes with XY chromosomes could make it unsafe for their opponents. Australia’s boxing captain Caitlin Parker said she had “fears” about her teammate fighting in the same weight category as Khelif, 66 kg. “It can be incredibly dangerous,” she added.

Imane’s next opponent, Hungary’s Luca Anna Hamori, said she would “go to the ring and will get my win” even as the abuse towards Lin and Imane continued unabated online.

On Friday, Angela — who refused to fight Imane — said she felt ‘sad’ for her opponent. “If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision. Actually, I want to apologise to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke.” Angela added that if she met Imane again, she would “embrace her”.

But Imane’s next opponent might not feel the same way. Hungarian Luca Hamori said she would ‘go to the ring and will get my win’. On her social media, she reposted a story of a woman in a bikini with a caption: “This is the girl who is fighting a male boxer tomorrow.”

Lin was subject to similar barbs on Friday. But she drowned out the noise from the stands to win the bout and get within sniffing distance of a medal. However, when the referee raised her hand, her Uzbeki opponent, Sitora Turdibekova, broke down and refused to shake hands.

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