The boxing controversy at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris involved two female boxers: Algerian Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting of Taiwan. Their eligibility to compete in the women's boxing events at the Paris Olympic Games was questioned after allegedly failing unspecified sex verification tests, a decision that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) subsequently criticised as "sudden and arbitrary".
Both athletes had previously been disqualified from the 2023 IBA Women's World Championships by the Russian-run International Boxing Association (IBA). The IBA claimed the disqualifications were based on unspecified "gender tests", which the International Olympic Committee (IOC) later determined were "completely arbitrary", "illegitimate", and "lacked credibility." In the lead-up to the Paris Games, the IOC cleared both athletes to compete.
The controversy escalated following an August 1 match in Paris, where Khelif faced Italian boxer Angela Carini. After two head blows, Carini withdrew from the match, prompting widespread media speculation about Khelif's gender eligibility.
Although neither Khelif nor Lin are transgender, the controversy became closely linked to broader public debates about trans women's inclusion in women's sports. Several public figures, including then U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump and author J. K. Rowling, referenced the incident in political commentary about women in sports, often incorrectly suggesting Khelif was male.
National sporting bodies from Algeria and Taiwan issued strong defences of their athletes who were facing harassment over their eligibility as women to compete, while the IOC reaffirmed the two athletes' eligibility.
The incident occurred amid ongoing disputes between the IOC, which oversees the Olympic Games, and the IBA, boxing's long-time global governing body. The IBA had been expelled from the Olympic movement in 2023 due to governance concerns. While broader issues had already strained the relationship, the controversy surrounding Khelif and Lin was cited by some commentators as further illustrating the IBA's governance problems, particularly regarding athlete eligibility procedures.
In March 2026, World Boxing, having taken over as the new international governing body for Olympic-level boxing, cleared Lin to compete in the women's category after she underwent a sex verification test.
Background Previous boxing competitions Prior to the 2024 Olympic Games, both Lin and Khelif had established themselves as prominent competitors in women's boxing. Lin won gold medals in her weight class at the 2018 and 2022 AIBA Women's World Championships, while Khelif secured a silver medal at the 2022 World Championships and a gold medal at the 2022 African Amateur Boxing Championships.
Both athletes also competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but did not medal, with Khelif reaching the quarterfinal stage.
IBA governance issues
The International Boxing Association (IBA), formerly known as AIBA (Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur), has historically served as the international governing body for amateur and professional boxing competitions.
In 2006, Wu Ching-kuo was elected as the president of the association. During the 2010s under Wu's leadership, the organisation came under increasing scrutiny, with widespread allegations of financial mismanagement, political interference, and irregularities in judging. These concerns culminated in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspending its recognition of the IBA in 2019, citing serious governance failures and a lack of transparency. In response, the association issued lifetime bans to Wu Ching-kuo and elected Gafur Rakhimov as the new president in November 2018. In 2020, Umar Kremlev was elected as president of the IBA.
Under Kremlev's leadership, the organisation faced further criticism over alleged Russian state influence. Observers pointed to the IBA's sponsorship arrangements with Gazprom, a Russian state-owned energy company, and raised concerns about the independence of its governance and decision-making processes.
In June 2023, after repeated warnings and failed reform efforts, the IOC voted to formally expel the IBA from the Olympic movement. In its decision, the IOC cited serious problems with the IBA's governance, highlighting particular concerns about political interference, financial control, and the integrity of officiating and judging at international boxing events.
Disqualifications at the 2023 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships During the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships in March 2023, both Lin and Khelif were disqualified by the IBA mid-tournament after allegedly failing to meet eligibility criteria related to gender verification.
Imane Khelif competed for the gold medal in the finals. However, she was disqualified shortly before her gold medal bout against People's Republic of China boxer Yang Liu. This disqualification happened three days after Khelif defeated , a previously unbeaten Russian prospect, restoring the Russian boxer's undefeated record. The IBA claimed the disqualifications were based on unspecified "gender tests", which the International Olympic Committee (IOC) later determined were "completely arbitrary", "illegitimate", and "lacked credibility." Uzbekistani boxer Navbakhor Khamidova was awarded the bronze medal over Khelif.
In 2023, Umar Kremlev, president of the IBA, claimed that the disqualifications had occurred because DNA tests "proved they had XY chromosomes". The Washington Post stated, "It remains unclear what standards Khelif and Lin Yu-ting failed [in 2023] to lead to the disqualifications", adding "There never has been evidence that [...] Khelif [...] had XY chromosomes or elevated levels of testosterone." The IBA did not reveal the testing methodology, stating the "specifics remain confidential". At the time, Khelif said the ruling meant having "characteristics that mean I can't box with women", but said she was the victim of a "big conspiracy" regarding the disqualification. She initially appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but the appeal was terminated since Khelif couldn't pay the procedural costs.
Eligibility for the 2024 Olympic Games In late July 2024, both Lin and Khelif were officially deemed eligible to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). In a statement, the IOC said "All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 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."
The announcement attracted widespread attention and criticism online. Shortly after the IOC's announcement, the International Boxing Association (IBA) issued a statement criticising the decision, citing concerns around the IOC's handling of competitive fairness and athlete safety. The IBA reaffirmed its March 2023 decision to disqualify Lin and Khelif from the 2023 Women's World Boxing Championships, citing the athletes' failure to meet the eligibility criteria for women's competition. The IBA clarified that Khelif and Lin "did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test, whereby the specifics remain confidential", and further alleged that they "were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors".
The following day, the IOC released their own statement in response, stating that the IBA's decision was "sudden and arbitrary" and "without any due process". The IOC further stated:
The IOC has suggested that the 2023 disqualifications may have been politically motivated, particularly in Khelif's case, as her removal followed a victory over a Russian boxer. This allegation emerged amid broader criticisms of the IBA's leadership under Kremlev and the organisation's alleged close ties to Russian state interests.
Imane Khelif match against Angela Carini and immediate aftermath
On 1 August 2024, Imane Khelif competed against Italian boxer Angela Carini in the women's boxing welterweight division at the Paris Olympic Games. Forty-six seconds into the match, following two head blows delivered by Khelif, Carini withdrew from the bout and appeared visibly distressed. She declined to shake hands with Khelif, a gesture that drew immediate media attention. Speaking to reporters later, Carini stated that she had "never felt a punch like this," prompting widespread speculation about the nature of Khelif's strength and gender eligibility.
The match quickly became the subject of intense online debate. Several public figures, including J. K. Rowling, Elon Musk and Logan Paul, commented on the incident, incorrectly claiming that Khelif was biologically male or transgender. Misinformation circulated rapidly across social media platforms, with posts often misrepresenting Khelif's background and eligibility status.
On 2 August, the IOC released an official statement affirming that both Khelif and Lin were women eligible to compete, according to their passports and their histories competing in women's boxing. The IOC also reiterated that the disqualifications at the 2023 IBA Women's World Championships had been conducted without due process, criticising the IBA's approach in handling the matter as "contrary to good governance". IOC President Thomas Bach went further to describe the backlash against the athletes as part of a "politically motivated... culture war". He linked the issue to a wider, Russian-led campaign against the IOC and the Olympic movement. The IOC expressed support for both athletes, denouncing the harassment, hate speech, and misinformation they had faced online and in the media.
In the days following the match, Carini clarified that her decision not to shake hands had not been intentional and expressed regret over the way the bout had been portrayed. She further stated that she did not believe Khelif had acted improperly during the competition.
The Algerian Olympic Committee issued several statements affirming Khelif's eligibility and criticising what they described as "baseless attacks" and "unethical targeting" on her reputation. Algerian officials emphasised that Khelif had passed all required eligibility checks conducted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and accused some foreign media outlets and commentators of engaging in "baseless propaganda." In a statement posted to X, Algerian Sports Minister Abderrahmane Hammad said "Our great Iman Khelif is under attack from an organization that has no legitimacy with IOC. Incredible resources are used to legally pursue and hold accountable anyone who dares to threaten or defame her."
Public controversy and critical discourse
Public reaction and misinformation Although neither Lin nor Khelif are transgender, the controversy surrounding their participation in the Paris Olympics became closely associated with broader culture wars over transgender inclusion in sports. Public discourse conflated questions of the two athletes' gender eligibility with debates about transgender athletes.
Online misinformation contributed significantly to the visibility and intensity of the controversy. Social media posts misidentifying Khelif as transgender or biologically male circulated widely. 2024 U.S. presidential candidate Trump used the controversy to reinforce election campaign rhetoric advocating for restrictions on women's sports participation based on assigned sex at birth, while author J. K. Rowling described the situation as emblematic of a "new men's rights movement" displacing women.
Critical discourse Commentators have noted the harm to the individual athletes involved, who have been forced to have their personal medical histories discussed in the public arena.