IOC President Thomas Bach condemned the “hate speech” targeting boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting at the Paris Olympics as “completely intolerable.” At a press conference, Bach emphasized, “We refuse to engage in a politically charged cultural conflict.” Khelif from Algeria and Lin from Taiwan have faced intense global scrutiny regarding their gender identity. Both athletes were disqualified at the 2023 world championships due to unspecified and unproven gender-based tests conducted by the Russian-led International Boxing Association, which has been excluded from the Olympics by the IOC amid a longstanding dispute.
Bach defended the athletes, stating, “We have two boxers who were born female, raised female, hold female passports, and have consistently competed as females for many years.” He added, “Some individuals seek to impose their own definition of womanhood.” Both Khelif and Lin previously competed in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics without winning medals.
