Watch: Female Opponent Taunts Embattled Olympic Boxer, Makes ‘X’ Sign to Protest Amid Failed Gender-Test Controversy
The article discusses the controversial issue of transgender participation in women’s boxing at the Olympics. Recently, Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting, who has male chromosomes, defeated Turkey’s Esra Yildiz Kahraman, prompting a worldwide outcry regarding fairness in the sport. After the match, Kahraman made a gesture signaling her protest against competing against a biologically male fighter, reminiscent of a prior protest by Bulgarian boxer Svetlana Staneva, who also lost to Lin.
Despite public and media scrutiny, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has defended its policy allowing such participation, while the International Boxing Association (IBA) has expressed concerns about inconsistent eligibility criteria applied by different sporting organizations. The situation has fueled arguments about competitive fairness and safety for female athletes. The dialogue continues to stir strong opinions and reactions, further complicating the conversation around gender, sports, and equality in competitive athletics.
The Lords of the Olympics are fine and dandy allowing fighters with the chromosomes of a male to fight female boxers.
But on Wednesday, a second protest from a defeated boxer was a gesture seen around the world.
Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting became the second fighter with male chromosomes heading for a gold medal fight on Wednesday after defeating Turkey’s Esra Yildiz Kahraman.
She lost to a man? I can’t watch the men punching women events.
— Debs💚🤍💜🎗️ (@biologycounts) August 7, 2024
After losing, Kahraman made the double ‘X’ sign with her index fingers, according to the U.K.’s Daily Mail.
The protest was similar to one made by Bulgarian female boxer Svetlana Staneva after losing to Lin in the quarter-finals.
Bulgarian female boxer Svetlana Staneva makes ‘X’ hand gesture to signal she is a real woman, after being beaten by biological male Lin Yu-Ting.
XX=Female Chromosomes.
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) August 4, 2024
Kahraman made no other signs of protest, touching gloves with Lin after the fight and holding a ring rope for Lin to exit the ring.
Asked about her gesture, Kahraman replied, “No comment.”
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who, like Lin, has an X and a Y chromosome, will be fighting for a gold medal in a different weight class.
Let’s not forget that there isn’t just one but TWO men competing in the women’s Olympic boxing.
Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting was stripped of a bronze medal in a March 2023 event after failing a gender eligibility test.
How do we explain to young up and coming female athletes that two… pic.twitter.com/zIFSqmK2RX
— Ren 🇨🇦 (@Scorpio_Karen18) August 1, 2024
Although many have commented about the fairness of fighters with male chromosomes fighting females, the International Olympic Committee has defended its policy of allowing them — a policy contrary to the International Boxing Association, which banned the two from fighting in female events.
“We will not take part in a politically motivated … cultural war,” IOC President Thomas Bach said, calling objections to the IOC’s policy “hate speech,” according to ABC.
“What is going on in this context in the social media with all this hate speech, with this aggression and abuse, and fueled by this agenda, is totally unacceptable,” he said.
In a statement, the IBA fired back, saying it has “concern over the inconsistent application of eligibility criteria by other sporting organizations, including those overseeing the Olympic Games,” the statement said.
Vice President of World Boxing confirms Imane Khelif is MALE.
“The problem was not with the level of Khelif’s testosterone, because that can be adjusted nowadays, but with the result of the gender test, which clearly revealed that the Algerian boxer is biologically male.”… pic.twitter.com/6sNpYMqYNI
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) August 3, 2024
“The IOC’s differing regulations on these matters, in which IBA is not involved, raise serious questions about both competitive fairness and athletes’ safety,” the statement said.
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