The women’s boxing match at the Paris Olympics has triggered international outrage and raised more questions about the fairness of letting “biological males” compete against females.
Italy’s Angela Carini faced off against Algeria’s Imani Khelif on Thursday, in the welterweight (66kg) category, but lasted only 46 seconds. Khelif was disqualified from last year’s World Championships after being deemed biologically male.
After taking two hefty punches to the face, Carini was forced to withdraw from the contest. She threw down her helmet crying “this is unjust!”
She has since received an outpouring of solidarity from critics of transgenderism around the world, who denounced Khelif as a biological man and protested the bout as unfair.
Among those who slammed the situation were a UN women’s welfare official and Italy’s Prime Minister.
Author J.K. Rowling told the International Olympic Committee (IOC): “A young female boxer has just had everything she’s worked and trained for snatched away because you allowed a male to get in the ring with her” She adding that the 2024 Olympics “will be forever tarnished by the brutal injustice done to Carini.”
A young female boxer has just had everything she’s worked and trained for snatched away because you allowed a male to get in the ring with her. You’re a disgrace, your ‘safeguarding’ is a joke and #Paris24 will be forever tarnished by the brutal injustice done to Carini. https://t.co/JMKzVljpyr
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 1, 2024
American college swimmer Riley Gaines also started a hashtag on X declaring “I stand with Angela Carini,” the post was endorsed by the platform owner, Elon Musk.
American heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson said he’s willing to box Olympic DUDE with all proceeds to go to a battered womens charity.
Breaking News:
— Rob/1865 (@Rob1865_) August 1, 2024
Mike Tyson says he's willing to Box Olympic DUDE with all Proceeds to go to a Battered Women's Charity… pic.twitter.com/HU9pnh0Vx2
Good luck Michaela Tyson who fights tonight in the female Olympic boxing final 💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/aK362zjUfc
— Football Hub (@FootbalIhub) August 1, 2024
However on Thursday IOC spokesman Mark Adams said that “all the competitors comply with the eligibility rules” and insisted that this was not a transgender issue.
They also IOC ruled that both Khelif and Lin Tu-ting, a boxer representing Chinese Taipei, “are women according to their passports.”
RT has reported that according to Algeria, Khelif is not transgender at all but a woman affected by a condition known as hyperandrogenism, characterized by a high level of testosterone and the presence of XY chromosomes.
“We condemn the unethical targeting and maligning of our esteemed athlete, Imane Khelif, with baseless propaganda from certain foreign media outlets,” the Algerian Olympic Committee said in a statement on Wednesday.
