Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who failed a gender eligibility test last year, knocked out her Italian opponent in 46 seconds in the 66 kg women’s boxing category at the Paris Olympics. This has drawn criticism from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who stated the fight was “not on an equal footing.”
The author of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, reacted to the controversy, saying, “Explain why you’re OK with a man beating a woman in public for your entertainment.”
Italian boxer Angela Carini, devastated by the defeat, collapsed to her knees and sobbed in the ring. She did not shake hands with Khelif, who advanced to the quarterfinals. The match, which consists of three three-minute rounds, ended quickly when Khelif landed two strong punches, causing Carini to bleed from her nose and making her unable to continue.
“I have a big pain in my nose and I said, ‘Stop’. It’s better to avoid keeping going. My nose started dripping (with blood) from the first hit,” said Carini.
Italy’s Prime Minister Meloni commented, “I think athletes who have male genetic characteristics should not be admitted to women’s competitions. And not because you want to discriminate against someone, but to protect the right of female athletes to compete on equal terms.”
The Controversy
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed two boxers, who failed the gender eligibility tests for the World Boxing Championships, to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Last year, Khelif was disqualified hours before her gold medal match at the women’s World Championships in Delhi due to high levels of testosterone. Similarly, Taiwan’s double world champion Lin Yu-ting lost her bronze medal for failing to meet the criteria.
Amateur Boxing President Umar Kremlev told Russian news agency TASS, “DNA tests of two boxers proved they have XY chromosomes and were thus excluded.” XY is the male chromosome, while XX is female.
Reem Alsalem, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, wrote on X that “Angela Carini rightly followed her instincts and prioritized her physical safety, but she and other female athletes should not have been exposed to this physical and psychological violence based on their sex.”
The World Championships were organized by the International Boxing Association (IBA), which is not recognized by the IOC over financial transparency issues. The IOC cited unclear sources of prize money as a reason for withdrawing recognition of the IBA.
“The IBA was not prepared to transparently explain the sources of its financing or to explain its full financial dependency, at the time, on a single state-owned company, Gazprom,” the IOC stated.
The boxing competition at the Paris Olympics is being organized by the Paris Boxing Unit (PBU), an ad-hoc unit of the IOC’s Executive Board. IOC spokesman Mark Adams said, “Everyone competing in the women’s category is complying with competition eligibility rules. They are women in their passports, and it’s stated in there that they are female.”
Nations Back Their Boxers
As expected, the Algerian and Taiwanese boxers have received support from their nations’ leaders. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said, “Yu-ting’s performances have inspired many Taiwanese players and united Taiwanese people. Now that she is once again on the international stage, we should stand united and cheer for her.”
Algeria’s Olympic committee called the criticism a “malicious and unethical attack directed against our distinguished athlete, Imane Khelif, by certain foreign media.”
The IBA clarified that Khelif initially appealed the IBA’s decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) but later withdrew, making the decision legally binding. Lin Yu-ting did not appeal the decision, rendering it legally binding as well.
“The IOC’s differing regulations on these matters, in which IBA is not involved, raise serious questions about both competitive fairness and athletes’ safety. For clarification on why the IOC permits athletes with competitive advantages to compete in their events, we urge interested parties to seek answers directly from the IOC,” the IBA stated.
Rowling’s Reaction
J.K. Rowling voiced her opinion on the gender row, saying, “Explain why you’re OK with a man beating a woman in public for your entertainment. This isn’t sport. From the bullying cheat in red up to the organizers who allowed this to happen, this is men reveling in their power over women.”
Kirsty Burrows, the Head of the Safe Sport Unit at the IOC, stated, “Paris Olympics 2024 offers the most comprehensive package of mental health and safeguarding initiatives than any other Olympic or sporting event in history.” Although unrelated to the boxing match incident, Rowling responded, “A young female boxer has just had everything she’s worked and trained for snatched away because you allowed a male to get in the ring with her. You’re a disgrace, your ‘safeguarding’ is a joke, and Paris 24 will be forever tarnished by the brutal injustice done to Carini.”