Olympics chief calls unexpected press conference to defend Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting’s participation in women’s boxing as he insists they were ‘born as women, raised as women and have female passports’

The head of the Olympics, Thomas Bach, has responded to the boxing gender controversy surrounding the Games by affirming that both athletes at the center of the debate meet ‘the clear definition of a woman.’

Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting were permitted to compete in the women’s category in Paris, even after they were disqualified from last year’s World Championships due to alleged failures in gender tests, a matter that threatens to overshadow the event.

Both athletes triumphed in their initial matches, with Khelif – who was scheduled to fight later on Saturday – advancing in her welterweight bout against Angela Carini after the distraught Italian withdrew just 46 seconds in, stating she quit ‘to preserve my life.’

The situation has ignited a divisive global discourse. However, Bach, who made an unanticipated appearance at a press conference on Saturday morning, condemned the ‘hate speech’ directed towards both athletes and expressed his approval of their participation.

‘To bring this controversy to a close, it is more up to you than to us,’ he advised reporters.

Algeria’s Imane Khelif has been defended by Thomas Bach amid her boxing gender row

Bach also backed Taiwan ‘s Lin Yu-Ting who has been in the eye of the boxing gender storm too

Speaking on Saturday, Bach blasted the ‘hate speech’ directed at both and said they’re women

‘We are talking about women’s boxing. We have two boxers who were born as women, raised as women, hold passports as women, and have competed for many years in women’s categories. This clearly fits the definition of a woman. There has never been any question regarding their identity as women.’

Bach further asserted that the IOC is operating within the existing framework available to it.

‘What we are witnessing now is that some individuals wish to monopolize the definition of what constitutes a woman,’ the German official stated.

‘I can only invite those individuals to propose a scientifically based new definition of who qualifies as a woman and how someone who was born and raised, and has competed as a woman, could be deemed otherwise. If they develop a theory, we are open to review it, but we will not engage in a politically motivated cultural conflict. I must point out that the hate speech, hostility, and harassment circulating on social media regarding this agenda is utterly intolerable.’

The IBA, currently in opposition to the IOC, has not clarified its position adequately but confirmed that both athletes had failed gender tests which were conducted following raised concerns.

The decision to disqualify the boxers was made by the IBA, which is led by Russian officials and lost its role as the organizer of Olympic boxing competitions due to governance issues.

Khelif won her women’s welterweight bout when Angela Carini (right) quit

The Italian boxer dropped to her knees after abandoning and was seen crying in the ring

Khelif’s participation in the event has been a source of controversy after her disqualification from the Women’s World Boxing Championships last year

Uzbekistani boxer Sitora Turdibekova was seen crying after losing to Lin

Lin won her opening bout in the women’s featherweight boxing event on Friday

When queried whether the uproar could be linked to a Russian disinformation initiative aimed at undermining the Games, Bach replied: ‘What we have observed from the Russian side, particularly from the IBA—whose recognition we had to withdraw for various reasons—has involved a long-standing defamation campaign against France, the Games, and the IOC.’

Bach added: ‘They have issued several statements regarding this matter that I prefer not to repeat. To understand the credibility of the information coming from this non-recognized federation, I encourage you to review their recent remarks and form your own opinion.’