Caitlin Clark was named the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year without much competition, but the one vote-getter sparked a lot of controversy over the summer.
A group of 74 Associated Press sports journalists and their members voted for the award.
Clark received 35 votes, followed by Olympic gymnast Simone Biles in second place with 25 votes.
However, Olympic gold medalist boxer Imane Kerif came in third place with four votes.
Kerif qualified for the Paris Olympics, but her gender was called into question at the 2023 championships when she was disqualified before the gold medal match over gender eligibility issues.
IBA president Umar Kremlev said the boxer had “XY chromosomes” associated with biological males.
Boxer Angela Carini withdrew from her match with Kerif in Paris, saying “one punch hurt too much.''
Although Kerif won the gold medal in Paris, she was not the only boxer to win a women's gold medal who was disqualified after failing a gender eligibility test.
Lin Yuting of Taiwan, who won gold in another women's weight class in Paris, sparked similar outrage.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) defended Kerif and Yuting's participation in the women's event until the very end.
“These two athletes were victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA. In the final stages of the 2023 IBA World Championships, they were abruptly disqualified without any due process,” the IOC said in a statement. stated inside.
Kerif later won a gold medal.
Kerif did not lose a single round on any scoreboard in Paris.
Carini claimed the win was “revenge” after winning her eighth Italian women's title earlier this month.
Kerif became the most Googled athlete of the year, largely due to the controversy.
