Two female boxers meet Paris Olympics rules after gender test issue at world championships

Two female boxers at the Paris Olympics who were disqualified at the 2023 world championships after being judged to have failed gender eligibility tests have complied with all rules to fight at the games, the IOC said.

Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan and Imane Khelif of Algeria are competing at their second Summer Games. Both finished outside the medals at the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021.

“All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations,” the International Olympic Committee said in a statement.

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The 28-year-old Lin is a two-time worlds gold medallist and the 25-year-old Khelif won a silver at the 2022 tournament.

Both were removed from their competitions in New Delhi last year at the world championships, run by the International Boxing Association which has been banished from Olympic boxing since before the Tokyo Games.

The different status of Lin and Khelif at the Olympics and worlds is a fallout from the years-long dispute between the IOC and the Russian-led IBA over alleged failures of governance and integrity, plus reliance on funding from state energy firm Gazprom.

The IOC has appointed officials to run boxing at two straight Summer Games and acknowledged the tournament rules for Paris are “descended from” those in place eight years ago at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

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Boxing officials picked to run Paris qualifying and finals tournaments tried “to restrict amendments to minimise the impact on athletes’ preparation and guaranteeing consistency between Olympic Games,” the IOC said.

The IOC-run database of about 10,700 athletes competing in Paris detailed both boxers’ experiences at the 2023 worlds.

Khelif was disqualified “just hours before her gold medal showdown” against a Chinese opponent “after her elevated levels of testosterone failed to meet the eligibility criteria.”

Lin “was stripped of her bronze medal (by the IBA) after failing to meet eligibility requirements based on the results of a biochemical test,” the IOC database stated.

On Thursday, Khelif will fight Italy’s Angela Carini in the 66kg category at the North Paris Arena.

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Lin, who got a first-round bye as the top seed in the 57kg category, will have her opening bout Friday in the round of 16.

Medal bouts in boxing at Paris will be staged at the Roland Garros tennis venue.