Open letter to IOC about Women's Boxing

The Countess Sports Working Group has drafted and sent an open letter to the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach. The letter was in relation to the inclusion of two athletes, who were previously banned from women’s boxing by the International Boxing Association (IBA) and are now competing in the women’s boxing competition at the Olympics. These two athletes ‘failed gender testing,’ according to the IBA, however, because the IOC, and not the IBA, are governing boxing at this year’s Olympics, the two athletes are being allowed to enter the women’s category. 

The IOC spokesman Mark Adams defended this decision by saying “They are women in their passports”. While the boxers in question may be recorded as women, their bodies are clearly male and the end result for the women they fight is the same – massively increased risk of injury and even death from every punch.

The Countess’ open letter was co-signed by national and international campaign groups as well as individuals (including high profile former athletes and Olympians). It highlights the unfairness of the IOC’s decision and asks if the IOC considered the serious safety concerns for female boxers. The letter also calls for immediate resumption of sex screening, which can be done by a simple cheek swab test, for all athletes seeking entry to the female category in any Olympic event. 

We are proud to have stood in defence of women athletes and will continue to do so whenever it is needed, and we are extremely proud of the individuals and organisations that stand beside us on this matter.

Ireland 31 July 2024 Dear President Bach, We, a diverse group of individuals and organisations who advocate for women’s rights, call upon the International Olympic Committee (“IOC”) to urgently investigate the eligibility of two boxers (Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting) to compete in the women’s Olympics boxing events, which commenced this week in Paris.

These two boxers were previously deemed ineligible to compete in women’s boxing events by their sport’s governing body, the International Boxing Association (“IBA”). We understand the IBA excluded the two boxers based on the results of sex/hormone screening, which deemed that they are not eligible to box in the female category. The IOC has undertaken the role of boxing governing body for the Paris Olympics and we would presume would retain the same eligibility criteria for participation in women’s boxing events. Instead, however, the IOC has deemed the two boxers, Khelif and Yu-ting, eligible to compete against women. This seems impossible to justify, especially if any meaningful risk assessment was conducted. Dr Emma Hilton, a well-respected developmental biologist, has conducted research that shows a male boxer’s punch is 160% more powerful than a woman’s punch. There is a very real risk of death or serious injury to these women boxers. We, therefore, find this decision to include two males in women’s boxing extremely concerning for both the safety and well-being of women boxers. We call on the IOC to reverse the decision to permit Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting to compete in the women’s Olympics boxing events and to abide by the IBA’s eligibility criteria instead.

In addition, we call on the IOC to immediately reinstate the cheek swab sex screening for all athletes participating in the Paris (and future) Olympic games to ensure fairness, dignity, and integrity in women’s Olympic competitions. Kind regards, Sorcha Nic Lochlainn, Sports Spokeswoman, The Countess Laoise de Brún BL, CEO and Founder of The Countess Sharron Davies, MBE Riley Gaines Martina Navratilova, OLY Donna de Varona, OLY Nancy Hogshead, J.D., OLY Donna Lopiano, Ph.D. Mariah Burton Nelson, M.P.H. Tracy Sundlun Inga Thompson The Countess AFCC-French Association of Women Cyclists Alianza Contra el Borrado de las Mujeres Fair Play for Women For Women Scotland Sport Gaels for Fair Play Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) Independent Women’s Forum Lobby Europeo de Mujeres en España Movimiento Abolicionista de Segovia Mujeres Progresistas de Retiro Partido Feministas al Congreso Save Women’s Sport Australasia Sex Matters Women’s Declaration International (WDI) Women’s Space Ireland Women Won’t Wheest Women’s Sports Policy Working Group

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