A recent boxing match at the Olympics has raised many questions and sparked a debate about gender eligibility in sports.
This controversy centers around a female boxer who won her match despite failing a gender test.
The recent Olympic boxing match has caused a stir following Khelif and Carini’s 46-second fight.
The recent victory of Lin Yu-Ting in the Olympics has reignited a contentious debate surrounding gender in sports.
Lin, who previously faced scrutiny for failing a gender eligibility test, emerged triumphant in a unanimous points decision against her opponent Sitora Turdibekova.
This victory comes hot on the heels of another controversial match where Imane Khelif left her opponent in tears after a swift defeat.
During the fight, Carini was hit twice, and she might have a broken nose.
She hardly threw any punches and told her corner, “It’s not fair,” before quitting the match.
Carini then sank to her knees in tears and refused to shake Khelif’s hand. After the fight in the 66kg category, she said she stopped the match to “save my life.”
Despite the anger that followed, with Team GB star Nicola Adams calling the fight “unfair” and “dangerous,” Olympic officials allowed the 55kg category fight to continue.
The second boxing match also sparked debate as an Olympic boxer failed gender eligibility test
The fight between Lin and Turdibekova ended more peacefully.
After Lin won by a unanimous decision, both boxers touched gloves to show respect.
However, they did not hug or congratulate each other after the match.
The defeated boxer, Turdibekova, quickly left the ring without speaking to reporters.
The atmosphere was different from previous fights, and while there was no celebration, the fight concluded without any major conflict or drama.
Lin clearly showed her skill in the fight, controlling all three rounds with determination.
Even though she was taller than Turdibekova, some people still criticized her victory.
Women’s rights activists and sports fans have raised concerns about what this kind of match means for women’s sports.
They worry that these fights could affect how female athletes are viewed and treated.
The IOC defends Khelif and Yu Ting’s eligibility in front of controversy over their true gender
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) criticized the previous disqualification of The International Boxing Association (IBA) toward Khelif and Yu Ting.
The IOC called it “arbitrary” and said it did not follow proper procedures.
They admitted that gender rules are very complicated.
Yu Ting was confirmed to be a woman as a newborn
To address this controversy, New Taipei City Councilor Cho Kuan-ting explained in a Facebook post that her ID number starts with a “2,” which is for females, while males get a “1.”
According to the Hsinchu City Government, this number cannot be changed.
“Lin was born female.”
The fights received heavy criticism from women’s rights activists.
Maya Forstater from Sex Matters reacted with angry emojis to a video of the fight’s conclusion, where a commentator said, “job done.”
Mara Yamauchi, a former elite marathon runner and two-time Olympian, also criticized the fight.
She called it “unfair, unsafe, and wrong.”
Yamauchi stated, “Another female boxer loses to a male at Paris 2024. This is unfair, unsafe, and wrong.
When males don’t win by a large margin in the female category, it shows they aren’t very good, not that they don’t have a male advantage.
Shame on the IOC for allowing this.”