Olympics organizers addressed criticism on Sunday about the testing process imposed on boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting. The testing, which sparked backlash and false accusations of the athletes being transgender or male, was described as flawed and impossible to justify by International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams. Adams defended Khelif from Algeria and Lin from Taiwan, criticizing the now-banned governing body of boxing, the International Boxing Association, for claiming the athletes failed eligibility tests for women’s competition without specifying the reasons.
During the 2023 boxing world championships, Khelif and Lin were abruptly taken for testing due to suspicions raised against them, according to Adams. He condemned the singling out of the two athletes and emphasized the dangers of acting on mere suspicions against athletes. Adams completely rejected the testing process, citing concerns about confidentiality, medical issues, lack of basis for the tests, and violations of international rules on data sharing.
Adams highlighted the overall flawed nature of the testing process from its conception to its public disclosure, making it impossible to engage with it. The disqualification of Lin and Khelif last year by the International Boxing Association, based on alleged failure to meet necessary eligibility criteria and having competitive advantages over other female competitors, reignited the debate on gender identity and sports regulations. The International Boxing Association, largely led by Russians, received a historic ban from the Olympics last year and has not overseen Olympic boxing tournaments since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
