Olympic organizers criticized the flawed and arbitrary testing imposed on boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting, which led to false allegations of them being transgender or male. IOC spokesman Mark Adams strongly defended the athletes, condemning the now-banned International Boxing Association for claiming they failed unspecified eligibility tests.
Adams criticized the testing process that targeted the athletes during the 2023 boxing world championships due to vague suspicions. He emphasized that acting on baseless suspicions sets a dangerous precedent and rejected the testing entirely, citing confidentiality, medical issues, lack of basis, and improper data sharing as reasons.
Lin and Khelif’s disqualification last year has fueled debate on gender identity and sports regulations. The International Boxing Association faced a permanent Olympic ban and hasn’t organized an Olympic boxing event since 2016.
In related news, Olympic organizers canceled multiple test swims over water quality concerns in the River Seine, postponing the men’s triathlon by a day. Decisions on event cancellations are made early on race days based on water quality samples. Anne Descamps, spokesperson for the Paris Games, expressed hope for improved conditions, with decisions to be made on competition day.