The Olympic Committee has cleared boxers Lin Yu-ting and Imane Khelif (both biologically male who identify as transgender women) to compete in the women’s boxing tournament at the Paris Olympics.
After failing to meet eligibility criteria, both boxers were disqualified from the World Championships last year.
The 2023 World Championships organizers stripped Lin, who represents Taiwan, of third place after the athlete failed a gender eligibility test. Algeria’s Khelif was also disqualified in New Delhi for failing a testosterone level test, following information from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Their participation in the Olympics has led to an online furore around the pair.
Many claim their participation in the female boxing tournament in the Paris Olympics could endanger the physical safety of their opponents in the ring.
The IOC said in a statement regarding both of them competing in Paris: “All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations in accordance with rules 1.4 and 3.1 of the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit [PBU].
As the Associated Press reported, the Paris Olympics broke a record by having 193 openly LGBTQ+ athletes competing, according to Outsports, a website compiling a database of openly queer Olympians. The count surpassed the 186 athletes at the COVID-19-delayed Tokyo Olympics held in 2021.
