Heated debate over Khelif: IOC warns of "culture war"
The outcry after the first Olympic bout of Imane Khelif is loud and shrill. The IOC is desperately trying to control the debate about the gender of the Algerian boxer after that. There are plenty of misinformation circulating about this.
The Olympic women's boxing is thrown into a "culture war" by the heated gender debate. IOC President Thomas Bach tried to smooth things over with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at a meeting. Former US President Donald Trump, however, proposed a simple solution for this complex issue: "I will keep all men out of women's sports!" he declared on social media. The hour of populists has struck. They are shouting loudly and shrillly: Men are beating women in Paris.
In the midst of the emotionally charged debate about the right to compete, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwanese Lin Yu-Ting find themselves. They were approved by the International Olympic Committee for the women's competitions in Paris after being disqualified by the world governing body at last year's World Championships for not meeting the "participation conditions" regarding their gender. They apparently failed a testosterone test, according to Khelif's Olympic profile on Thursday. However, the entry has since been deleted, and the confusion has only grown. The exact nature of the gender test conducted by the IBA remains unclear, and the committee is not providing any clarification. Testosterone was not the issue, but what was tested remains a mystery. For the IOC, it is clear that Khelif and Lin are victims of a "random decision" made without "proper procedure". Moreover, Imane Khelif "was born a woman, registered as a woman, has always lived as a woman, has boxed as a woman, and her passport says she is a woman," said IOC spokesman Mark Adams firmly. He emphasized: "This is not a transgender case. It is not a case of a man fighting against a woman. There is scientific consensus on this."
IOC in explanatory distress
In the heated discussion, the IOC warned against escalation. "We must not turn this into a culture war, but think of the people affected by misinformation," said IOC spokesman Adams. The discussion about the gender of Khelif and Lin is "a minefield", and the athletes could suffer psychological harm.
However, the IOC has also maneuvered itself into this hopeless situation with its own approach to boxing. After numerous scandals, the IBA is no longer part of the Olympic family, and the new boxing federation, World Boxing, does not have enough support to play an influential role in the sporting world. Therefore, the IOC is organizing the boxing competitions in Paris for the second time, but the gentlemen of the rings do not seem well-prepared for such a complicated situation.
Mark Adams came under significant pressure during the daily Q&A session at the Palais des Congres today. The IOC, he said, is always trying to find a balance between inclusion, fairness, and safety. The safety of the athletes is always the top priority. And: The topic cannot be divided into "black and white". However, this has long since happened, and the IOC has found itself in explanatory distress.
Meanwhile, former World Champion Amy Broadhurst of Ireland comes to Khelif's defense. Broadhurst, who beat Khelif at the 2022 Worlds, urged people on social media to "stop the bullying". She doesn't believe Khelif "has done anything to 'cheat'", she wrote on X: "I think it's in her birth history and that's beyond her control." Broadhurst pointed out that Khelif has lost nine times to women, "that says it all", she wrote, and reminded that "nothing has been proven that this person is male". Even the defeated Italian Angela Carini now expresses understanding. "All these controversies have made me sad, and I feel sorry for my opponent, she had nothing to do with it, she was here to fight like me", Carini told "La Gazzetta dello Sport".
IOC spokesman Adams had previously explained that the International Olympic Committee is "in very close contact with the athlete and her team". He also lamented the "horrible insults" online. Khelif is being "stigmatized and potentially pushed out of competition". On Saturday, the 25-year-old will face Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary in the quarter-finals of the 66kg class. With a win, she will secure a medal. Lin also still has a chance at a medal. She defeated the Uzbek Sitora Turdibekova 5:0.
The Olympic Games have unwittingly become a battleground for gender politics, with the controversy surrounding Imane Khelif's participation in women's boxing leading the charge. Despite the IOC's efforts to maintain a balanced approach, ensuring inclusion, fairness, and safety for all athletes, the debate surrounding Khelif's eligibility has escalated into a contentious issue.
