The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has defended its decision to allow two female boxers to compete at the Paris Olympics despite an ongoing gender row, saying the pair were facing 'aggression' because of an arbitrary decision.
The statement came hours after Italian boxer Angela Carini insisted she had "never felt a punch like this" after her preliminary round of 16 bout against Algerian Imane Khelif was abandoned after just 46 seconds.
Khelif's lightning-quick win over the Italian, who decided to pull out after a barrage of punches by the Algerian, piled more pressure on the IOC.
Khelif, and Taiwan's double world champion Lin Yu-ting, who is fighting in the women's 57kg category on Friday, have been cleared to compete in the Olympics despite being disqualified from last year's Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi for failing to meet gender eligibility criteria.
IBA president Umar Kremlev posted on Telegram at the time of the two boxers' bans that DNA tests had "proven that they have XY chromosomes" but in a statement yesterday the IBA would only say that the athletes had failed "a separate and recognised test" that was not for testosterone.
The IBA was stripped of its recognition by the IOC last year over governance and finance issues, with the Olympic body running the boxing competition in Paris.
The IOC said the IBA decision to disqualify the boxers last year was arbitrary and the main cause for the furore that has seen opposition to them competing in the Games.
"These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA," the IOC said in a statement. "Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process.
"According to the IBA minutes available on their website, this decision was initially taken solely by the IBA Secretary General and CEO."
Have a lot of people texting me over Imane Khelif. Personally I don't think she has done anything to 'cheat’. I thinks it’s the way she was born & that’s out of her control. The fact that she has been beating by 9 females before says it all.
— Amy Broadhurst (@amybroadhurst12) July 31, 2024
Women's sports categories exist in most sports in recognition of the clear advantage that going through male puberty gives an athlete.
That advantage is not just through higher testosterone levels but also in muscle mass, skeletal advantage and faster twitch muscle.
Some sports have limited the levels of testosterone allowed for athletes competing in women's competition, while others ban everyone who has been through male puberty.
Differences of Sexual Disorder (DSD) are a group of rare conditions involving genes, hormones and reproductive organs. Some people with DSDs are raised as female but have XY sex chromosomes and blood testosterone levels in the male range.
The IOC said the rules of eligibility were based on those of the Tokyo Games in 2021 and cannot be changed during a competition.
READ MORE: Explained: The gender controversy miring women's Olympic boxing
"The current aggression against these two athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision, which was taken without any proper procedure – especially considering that these athletes had been competing in top-level competition for many years," the IOC said.
"The IOC is saddened by the abuse that the two athletes are currently receiving," it added. "Every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination."
During Thursday's match, Khelif landed a few good shots, including a huge punch to Carini’s face.
The Italian then went over to her corner and subsequently signalled that she was unable to carry on due to pain in her nose, leading to the fight being abandoned with two minutes and 14 seconds left in the first round.
Carini was pictured in floods of tears afterwards and said she was unable to continue for her health.
She said: "It hurt so much. I am heartbroken. I went to the ring to honour my father. I was told a lot of times that I was a warrior, but I preferred to stop for my health. I have never felt a punch like this.
"After the second blow, and after years of experience in the ring and a lifetime of fighting, I felt extreme pain in my nose.
"I said ‘enough’ because I didn’t want to… I couldn’t carry on in the match. I thought maybe it was better that I brought an end to the match.
"I went to my corner and raised my hand and said I’d had enough because my nose hurt so much.
"I’ve always gone into the ring with honour, I’ve always fought for my country, loyally, but this time I couldn’t as I wasn’t able to fight anymore."
Her coach, Emanuele Renzini, said afterwards: "She felt pain in her nose and said to me 'I don't want to fight anymore’."
"It would have been easier not to show up, because all of Italy had been asking her not to fight for days. But Angela was motivated and wanted to do it.
"Of course when she met her opponent at the draw, she said 'it's not fair’.
"But there was no premeditation here today. She quit after taking one punch, she told me she didn’t feel she could fight.
"I tried to tell her to at least get to the end of the first round so we would fight, but she wouldn’t."
Khelif has previously fought, and been beaten by Kellie Harrington and Amy Broadhurst.
Harrington met Khelif at the 2021 Games in Tokyo, beating her in the quarter-finals, on her way to gold in the women's lightweight, while Broadhurst defeated the Algerian in the final of the IBA-organised 2022 World Championships in Istanbul.
Broadhurst has defended Khelif's right to compete, writing on X: "Have a lot of people texting me over Imane Khelif. Personally I don't think she has done anything to 'cheat'. I thinks it’s the way she was born & that’s out of her control. The fact that she has been beating (sic) by 9 females before says it all."
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Carini's bout against Khelif was not a fight among equals.
"I think that athletes who have male genetic characteristics should not be admitted to women's competitions," Meloni said.
"And not because you want to discriminate against someone, but to protect the right of female athletes to be able to compete on equal terms."
The UN's special rapporteur on violence against women and girls (VAWG) condemned the decision to allow Khelif to compete in women’s boxing.
Reem Alsalem said Carini "rightly followed her instincts and prioritised her physical safety, but she and other female athletes should not have been exposed to this physical and psychological violence based on their sex".
