International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach condemned the so-called “hate speech” targeting two boxers who previously failed gender tests ahead of the Paris Olympics.
Algerian Imane Khelif and Taiwanese Lin Yu-Ting were disqualified from the 2023 International Boxing Association (IBA) Women’s World Championships due to what president Umar Kremlev described as a positive test for “XY chromosomes.” The IBA has asserted that Khelif and Lin both possess competitive advantages that prevent them from competing against women.
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International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach during a regular press conference for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on August 3, 2024, in Paris, France. (Sheng Jiapeng/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
The IOC has countered the IBA’s remarks amidst a wave of criticism directed at the IOC, Khelif, and Lin. Bach stated that the “hate speech” directed at the fighters was “wholly unacceptable.”
“We refuse to engage in a politically motivated … cultural conflict,” Bach emphasized while attempting to quell the backlash.
“The current situation on social media, full of hate speech, aggression, and abuse, driven by an agenda, is completely intolerable.”
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IOC President Thomas Bach during the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s All-Around Final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on August 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
Bach asserted that both Khelif and Lin are women.
“We have two boxers who are born women, raised as women, carry a passport identifying them as women, and have competed as women for many years,” he stated. “Some want to define what a woman is.”
Khelif and Lin have thus far participated in the women’s division at this Olympics.
Khelif secured victories against Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori and Italy’s Angela Carini, advancing to the semifinals with at least a bronze medal guaranteed.
Lin is scheduled to compete again on Sunday.
Imane Khelif of Team Algeria competes against Anna Luca Hamori of Team Hungary during the Women’s 66kg Quarter-final round on day eight of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at North Paris Arena on August 3, 2024, in Paris, France. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
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“Everyone seems compelled to express their opinion … without truly understanding the often intricate circumstances,” Bach remarked. “No legitimate conclusion can be derived from conducting a social media poll asking, ‘Do you believe this person is a woman or not?'”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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