The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is backing the two women boxers at the heart of a gender dispute at the Paris Olympics, saying they will remain in the competition as long as they keep winning, ESPN reported.
The IOC said that Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s double world champion Lin Yu-ting have met all the eligibility criteria so far—and will be able to compete if they continue to meet them.
“These athletes have been competing in senior competitions for six years with no issues,” IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said. “These women were eligible for this contest, remain eligible for this contest and compete in this contest.”
On Aug. 5, the International Boxing Association (IBA) said the boxers failed an eligibility test after having undergone a chromosome test during the 2023 world championships, and that they should not be in the Olympics.
Khelif has called for an end to the bullying of athletes amid global backlash, saying the scrutiny she has faced over misconceptions about her gender “harms human dignity.”
Dr. David J. Johns, who heads the U.S. pro-LGBTQ+ organization the National Black Justice Collective, issued a statement about the discrimination, bullying and harassment that Khelif has faced at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In a press release, Johns said, “Simply put, Imane Khelif and the other athletes being targeted met the criteria to compete in the Olympics. They deserve to compete as much as every other athlete who trained, prepared, and qualified for the most significant opportunity in their sport. An opportunity now dampened by internet trolls and evangelical zealots consumed with ignorance and a disregard for how weaponized hate can threaten one’s livelihood and life.”