International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach faced further questions over the gender eligibility controversy surrounding two boxers competing in the Olympics. 2024 Paris Olympics It was the final press conference before the Olympics finish this weekend.
Bach, who was first elected in 2013, has not wavered in the IOC’s position on concerns over Olympic eligibility. Algerian boxer Imane Khelif Taiwan’s Lin Yuting spoke to media on Friday.
Gold medalist Imane Kherif of Algeria poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for the women’s 66 kg boxing final at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on August 9, 2024. (Mohamed Rasfan/AFP via Getty Images)
“This is not about inclusion. Inclusion has nothing to do with this at all,” Bach said. “This is about justice.”
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The investigation was sparked after the International Boxing Association (IBA), whose 2023 recognition was revoked by the IOC, issued a statement last month disqualifying two boxers from the International Boxing Association World Championships in 2023. The IBA president said at the time that Khelif and Lin had been disqualified because they were found to have “XY chromosomes”.
But the IOC maintains that both athletes meet the committee’s eligibility requirements.
“Women have the right to participate in society.” [events]”And we are not going to rely on any tests. I have seen the recording of a very interesting press conference by this organization (IBA), where it was not even clear which tests were carried out and what their results were. In any case, what was reported there is not based on science,” Bach continued.
“I’ve explained the problem we have before. Although some people may want to portray XX and XY as a clear distinction between male and female, it’s not that simple. This is no longer true scientifically. Therefore, these two are women, and they have the right to compete in women’s sports. This has nothing to do with inclusion.”
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach spoke to media at a press conference on the 14th day of the Olympic Games in Paris on August 9, 2024. (George Mattock/Getty Images)
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Bach said the IOC abolished genetic sex testing in 1999 and that the commission’s position was “very clear” under the new system.
“Women must be allowed to participate in women’s sports, and [boxers] “A woman,” he said.
Asked whether the IOC would be willing to reassess its policy ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games, Bach said the IOC was open to it.
“That’s what we’ve said from the beginning: if someone presents a scientifically sound system, a way to identify males and females, we will be the first to do it. We don’t like this uncertainty. We don’t like the whole situation, for anybody. So we’re happy to look into it. But it can’t be that someone just looks at someone and says: ‘This is not a woman’ or that we fall prey to a defamation campaign by discredited organisations with strong political interests.”
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The IOC released a statement on August 1 making it clear that all boxers competing in the women’s competition will “follow the eligibility and entry rules of the Games, as well as all medical regulations established by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU).”
Lin Yuting will face Turkey’s Esra Yildiz Kahraman in the women’s 57kg semi-finals on August 7, 2024, on the 12th day of the Paris Olympics. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
“As with previous Olympic boxing events, an athlete’s gender and age will be determined based on their passport,” the statement added.
Bach’s comments came just hours before Kheriff won the gold medal in the women’s 66kg division, defeating the current welterweight world champion, Yang Liu of China, by unanimous decision.
Lin will compete for gold in the women’s featherweight division on Saturday.
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