The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has backed two female boxers who had been banned from the 2023 World Championships after failing eligibility tests for the women’s category.
It has been firmly established that both athletes are women, IOC Spokesperson Mark Adams said on Tuesday while refusing to disclose the boxers' identities. He added that all competitors in the Olympics have upheld and followed eligibility rules.
The Guardian newspaper has identified the athletes concerned as Imane Khelif from Algeria and Taiwanese Lin Yu Ting.
Imane Khelif is scheduled to compete in the welterweight (63.5-66.6 kg) category on Thursday, while Lin Yu Ting is set to fight in the featherweight (55.3-57.1 kg) category on Friday.
Khelif had been removed from the World Championships just before her gold medal fight in New Delhi in March 2023 for failing the tests implemented by the International Boxing Association (IBA), as was the case for Lin Yu Ting, whose failed test caused her to lose her bronze medal.
According to Khelif’s IOC profile, she was disqualified due to “high levels of testosterone” during the World Championships. Regarding Lin Yu-ting, her profile indicates she “did not meet eligibility criteria after a biochemical test.”
Incidentally, the IOC does not recognise the IBA, headed by Russian Umar Kremlev.
The two athletes have been boxing on many occasions over several years in women’s categories and did not just arrive, Adams said, adding that they had boxed in Tokyo.
