Is Olympic boxing a playground?

Written by Ruth Raper

The Olympic Games are no stranger to controversy, and Paris 2024 appears to be no exception. From human rights and politics to the safety and security of athletes, there are plenty of issues swirling around. But the story that seems to have caught the world's attention is that of Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, boxers from Algeria and Taiwan.

After Khelif and Yu-ting won their first fights, news broke that both boxers had been disqualified from the 2023 Women's World Championship. Social media exploded and spread their conclusion that the two fighters are transgender. Viral media picked up the story and the entire boxing and sports world joined in to express their outrage.

This outrage was fueled by Khelif's opening match against Italian boxer Angela Carini. The bout lasted only 46 seconds, enough time to see Khelif land a few punches, Carini gave up and burst into tears. The Italian boxer revealed that he had never felt such powerful punches and could not continue the fight. This emotional display of Carini encouraged the public that Khelif had no place to compete in the women's division.

At first glance, this appeared to be a debate about whether transgender women should compete in women's sports, with Khelif being outed as a transgender woman, putting cis women at risk. Over the days, a picture of the young boy Khelif appeared and a statement from the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, saying, “We are not talking about the transgender issue here. This is about a woman participating in the women's division.” If we clarify this, we must take a closer look at why these two boxers were eliminated from the world championship last year.

The International Boxing Association (IBA) (formerly known as AIBA) says that Khelif and Yu-ting failed the gender eligibility test as their DNA test results showed that both athletes have XY chromosomes, but the results were not published. The IBA ruled Olympic boxing until 2019, when the IOC suspended the organization due to administrative, financial and corruption issues. This made the IBA the first confederation to be expelled from the Olympic struggle. Khelif was eliminated after defeating the Russian boxer, Azalia Amineva.

Why now, at the top of their careers, are these two boxers being asked about their sexuality? Khelif and Yu-ting competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics without much fuss, speculation, or controversy.

Given the construction debate about the level playing field, isn't it only fair that we take a closer look at what we really consider to be “quality”

The term 'sexual development difference' (DSD) (formerly known as intersex) describes a number of conditions in which the development of chromosomes, genitalia and hormones is abnormal. When we consider this field, how do we set clear but fair guidelines about what is right and wrong, what we consider to be an environmental benefit, and what is an unfair benefit?

This is not the first time we have seen a debate about gender equality. The public issue is that of the 800 meter runner, Caster Semenya, who was asked to take medication to suppress his testosterone level if he wanted to continue the competition. However, the same argument raised by male athletes for praise, views elite athletes as superhuman because of their genetic makeup.

Michael Phelps has won an incredible 28 Olympic medals in four Olympic Games. News outlets and sportscasters were more than happy to rave about his super-large wingspan, double-jointed ankles, and ability to produce nearly half the amount of lactic acid compared to his competitors. These unique natural blessings are undoubtedly due to the 2000s known as the “Phelps era.”

We should ask ourselves why we punish Semenya, Khelif, and Yu-ting but celebrate Phelps. The noise on social media has been suspicious and, at times, felt like a witch hunt.

Politicians and media outlets have chimed in: Donald Trump shared a video of Khelif's fight with the caption, “I WILL KEEP AS MANY MEN IN WOMEN'S SPORTS”; Piers Morgan released a headline titled “Imane Khelif is NOT a natural woman” and separately tweeted a photo of Khelif with the caption, “if this is a natural woman, I'm a natural aardvark”.

Are these words spoken by men trying to protect women's sports, or are they using this as an opportunity to make a political statement and remind everyone what a woman “should” look like?

I am amazed (and a little horrified) at the speed at which misinformation can spread. The masses are obsessed with political headlines, reveling in the opportunity to spew anything on the Internet that they feel makes them appear to be moral authorities, with little regard for fact-checking or due diligence.

The Olympic Games are the pinnacle of a novice boxer's career, but instead of being celebrated for their dedication and talent, Khelif and Yu-ting have become the victims of slinging judgments and media scandals. With the future of Olympic boxing hanging in the balance, having not yet been included in the 2028 LA schedule, it would be a shame if this is the lasting memory of Olympic boxing.