Paris Olympics row: The Paris Olympics was rocked by a major gender controversy after Algerian boxer Imane Khelif's disputed victory over Italy's Angela Carini, with former US President Donald Trump, tech billionaire Elon Musk and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressing strong opinions over the matter. The controversy erupted after Carini ended her round of 16 bout against Khelif in tears after receiving a barrage of punches.
Notably, Khalif was disqualified by the International Boxing Association (IBA) from competing for the gold at the 2023 world championships after failing an unspecified gender eligibility test due to elevated levels of testosterone. However, Khelif was allowed to enter the Olympics after the IOC last year stripped the IBA of its status as boxing's governing body over governance issues and took charge.
The controversy has fuelled an intense gender debate as women's sports categories exist in most sports in recognition of the clear advantage an athlete receives while going through male puberty. The outcome of the match between Khelif and Carini has led to a severe backlash of the former and Taiwan's double-world champion Lin Yu-ting across social media platforms.
'Men don't belong in women's sports'
In social media posts, former US President Trump and his running mate JD Vance echoed sentiments of outrage over the Khelif-Carini match controversy. Trump wrote, "I WILL KEEP MEN OUT OF WOMEN’S SPORTS!" on his Truth Social Platform. Vance took a dig at US Vice President Kamala Harris, saying her ideas of gender lead to "a grown man punching a woman" and called it "disgusting".
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with Carini in Paris and offered words of encouragement to the boxer and slammed the IOC over allowing Khelif. "I know that you won't give up Angela, and I know that one day you will get what you deserve through strength and sweat. In a competition that is finally equal," she said on X.
"I think that athletes who have male genetic characteristics should not be admitted to women's competitions," Meloni was quoted as saying by Italian news agency ANSA. "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."
Tesla CEO Musk and British author JK Rowling also voiced their opposition to "men" participating in women's competitions. Riley Gaines, a former US swimmer and an advocate for women's single-sex spaces, wrote, "Men don't belong in women's sports #IStandWithAngelaCarini", to which Musk replied, "Absolutely".
Carini's Olympic bout ends in tears
Khelif's participation in the Paris Games had divided boxers. Khelif landed multiple punches in the first 30 seconds before a powerful right to Carini's nose prompted the Italian to raise her hand and return to her corner. After her coach signalled that she was withdrawing from the bout, Carini fell to her knees, crying uncontrollably and declining to shake Khelif's hand after the Algerian boxer was declared the winner.
"I am a fighter. My father taught me to be a warrior. When I am in the ring, I use that mindset, the mindset of a warrior, a winning mindset," Carini told reporters after abandoning the bout. "This time I couldn’t make it... I didn’t lose tonight, I just surrendered with maturity."
Notably, Khelif had been disqualified at the 2023 World Championships after failing International Boxing Association (IBA) eligibility rules that prevent athletes with male XY chromosomes from competing in women's events. Khelif was permitted to fight as the IOC took charge of the Paris 2024 boxing competition.
"I'm out, my dream is over. So I felt really sad, with a broken heart. It's not right for my Olympics to end here, it's not right for my dream to end here, because an athlete makes so many sacrifices," said Carini.
IOC's response to backlash
Meanwhile, the IOC issued a statement saying it was "saddened by the abuse that the two athletes (Khelif and Lin Yu-ting) are currently receiving". "Every person has the right to practise sport without discrimination," the Committee said in a statement.
"We have seen in reports misleading information about two female athletes competing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024... These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA. Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process," the IOC further said.
The IOC's Framework on Fairness, Inclusion and Non-discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sex variations, offers guidelines to federations on ensuring inclusion and fairness in sport, including athletes with Differences of Sexual Disorder (DSD). IOC spokesman Mark Adams defended the body's decision for Paris 2024 ahead of Khelif's bout, saying, "They have lost and they have won against other women over the years."
(with inputs from agency)
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