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Olympic Committee Addresses Women’s Boxing Controversy: ‘This Is Not a Transgender Case’


The International Olympic Committee has spoken out about the Paris women's boxing controversy, saying: 'This is not a man fighting a woman.'

Imane Khelif of Algeria and Lin Yu‑ting of Taiwan had been disqualified from the 2023 Women’s World Champion­ships with the International Boxing Association president, Umar Kremlev, claiming that DNA tests had “proved they had XY chromosomes and were thus excluded.” The controversy soon escalated when high-profile figures stepped into the ring, with J.K. Rowling posting a picture from the fight on X saying: “Could any picture sum up our new men’s rights movement better?” She added that it showed the “smirk of a male who’s knows he’s protected by a misogynist sporting establishment enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head, and whose life’s ambition he’s just shattered.” Elon Musk, meanwhile, shared a post from swimmer Riley Gaines that claimed “men don’t belong in women’s sports.” The X owner co-signed the message by writing: “Absolutely.” But the International Olympic Committee has stood firmly with Khelif and Yu-ting, who on Friday won her fight in the women’s 57kg category against Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova to reach the quarter-finals.

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