Two boxers who were disqualified last year for not meeting eligibility standards to compete in women’s events will take part in the Paris Olympics.
Imane Khelif from Algeria and Lin Yu-Ting from Taiwan are set to compete for medals in the women’s 66-kilogram and women’s 57-kilogram categories. However, both athletes were embroiled in controversy in 2023.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Imane Khelif celebrates after defeating Mariem Homrani Ep Zayan during the Tokyo Olympic Games on July 30, 2021. (Buda Mendes/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Khelif and Lin were disqualified at the women’s world championships in New Delhi in March 2023. The International Boxing Association announced that both boxers did not fulfill eligibility requirements.
Khelif was disqualified following a test that revealed elevated levels of testosterone, as reported by Reuters and Algerian media. She claimed on Algerian television that the ruling was part of a “big conspiracy.”
As per AFP, Khelif was informed that she possessed “characteristics that mean I can’t box with women.”
The Algerian Olympic Committee clarified that Khelif was disqualified for medical reasons.
Yu-Ting Lin competes against Jucielen Romeu during the Women’s World Boxing Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 16, 2022. (Mehmet Eser/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
PARIS 2024 OFFICIAL BELIEVES OPENING CEREMONY GOAL OF SHOWING COMMUNITY TOLERANCE WAS ACHIEVED DESPITE FUROR
Lin’s bronze medal was revoked after she did not comply with IBA eligibility criteria, leading to significant backlash from her team.
IBA president Umar Kremlin elaborated on the matter at the time, according to Russia’s Tass News Agency.
“DNA tests revealed a number of athletes attempting to deceive their peers by masquerading as women. The test results confirmed the presence of XY chromosomes. Accordingly, those athletes were barred from competition,” Kremlin stated.
Reduxx highlighted these matchups initially.
The International Olympic Committee severed ties with the International Boxing Association in 2023 over concerns regarding its connections to Russia’s Gazprom.
A spectacular laser show lights up the Eiffel Tower in Paris during the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics on July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga, Pool)
World Boxing emerged from the conflict in 2023.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Khelif is scheduled to face Italy’s Angela Carini in the round of 16. Lin will take on the winner between Marcelat Sakobi Matshu and Sitora Turdibekova.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
