The world’s governing body for the sport of boxing just dropped a bombshell on two athletes, just as one of the fighters went viral for brutalizing a woman in an Olympic female boxing event.
The International Boxing Association’s announcement was released Wednesday, just before one of those boxers violently put a top female Olympian out of the competition in less than a minute.
“As stated, the International Boxing Association (IBA) feels it appropriate at this prevalent time, to address recent media statements regarding those athletes Lin Yu-ting and Imane Khelif,” the IBA’s release read, “particularly regarding their participation in the Paris Olympic Games 2024.”
Imane Khelif, one of the boxers mentioned in the IBA release, is a competitor from Algeria who has had a run-in with the association while trying to compete in female events.
The athletes were both disqualified from the association’s 2023 World Boxing Championships for failing to meet standards for the women’s competition.
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“On 24 March 2023, IBA disqualified athletes Lin Yu-ting and Imane Khelif from the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships New Delhi 2023,” the IBA said. “This disqualification was a result of their failure to meet the eligibility criteria for participating in the women’s competition, as set and laid out in the IBA Regulations.
“This decision, made after a meticulous review, was extremely important and necessary to uphold the level of fairness and utmost integrity of the competition.”
The two boxers were measured against an unspecified test and found to have failed.
“Point to note, the athletes did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test, whereby the specifics remain confidential,” The IBA explained. “This test conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors.”
Should matches with these athletes be forfeited?
It seems whatever eligibility tests the organizers of the Olympic Games apply are a bit less restrictive than the IBA’s, as Imane Khelif is now being allowed to compete in female-only events.
Khelif made headlines Thursday as the fighter squared off against Italian boxer Angela Carini.
After a couple of punches from the Algerian, Carini forfeited her match. The bout only lasted 46 seconds.
“After the second one (blow to the nose) I couldn’t breathe anymore,” Carini told reporters. “I went to my coach and said ‘enough’ because it takes maturity and courage to stop. I didn’t feel like fighting anymore.”
Video from the Olympic fight, and Carini’s devastation in the aftermath of it, shows the IBA may have had a valid reason for keeping Khelif out of female combat sports.
Angela Carini (blue, female) abandons fight against Imane Khelif (red, male) a few minutes into fight /1 pic.twitter.com/yOIvZkDaow
— FairPlayForWomen (@fairplaywomen) August 1, 2024
“None giusto!”.
“it’s not fair!” Says Angela /6 pic.twitter.com/ukqReaRHbP— FairPlayForWomen (@fairplaywomen) August 1, 2024
The International Olympic Committee’s handling of this match and its competitors caused great confusion. The brutalization of Carini could likely be another permanent stain on the reputation of the games.
