Boxers Disqualified from World Championships Cleared for Paris Olympics

Two boxers disqualified from the 2023 World Championships due to gender eligibility issues have been deemed eligible to compete in the upcoming Paris Olympics, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Algeria’s Imane Khelif was disqualified just hours before her gold medal match in New Delhi after failing to meet the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) criteria. Similarly, Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, a double world champion, lost her bronze medal for the same reason, with IBA president Umar Kremlev citing their “XY chromosomes” as the basis for disqualification. The World Championships were organized by the IBA, which is no longer recognized by the IOC. The boxing events at the Paris Olympics will be overseen by the newly established Paris Boxing Unit (PBU), created by the IOC’s Executive Board to ensure compliance with Olympic standards. The IOC confirmed that all athletes participating in the boxing tournament will adhere to the eligibility and medical regulations set forth for the Games. In a statement, the IOC emphasized that the PBU aimed to minimize changes to regulations to avoid disrupting athletes' preparations and to maintain consistency with Olympic protocols. Khelif is scheduled to face Angela Carini in a welterweight bout on Thursday, while Lin will compete against either Marcelat Sakobi or Sitora Turdibekova in the featherweight division on Friday. The decisions have sparked discussions about gender eligibility in sports as the Olympics approach.