Ebanie Bridges slams decision that sees two boxers cleared to compete at Olympics despite failing gender eligibility tests as IOC defends itself
Former world champion Ebanie Bridges has hit out at the decision to allow two boxers to compete in the women's category at the Paris Olympics.
Lin Yu‑ting of Taiwan and Algeria's Imane Khelif, failed gender eligibility tests at the Women's World Championship in India, which was by the International Boxing Association (IBA) last year.
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Disqualifying them from competing, IBA president Umar Kremlev said DNA tests had 'proved they had XY chromosomes (male) and were thus excluded from the sports events'.
The IBA, though, doesn’t run Olympic boxing. That falls under the International Olympic Committee (IOC) who confirmed it is happy for the two to compete at the Paris Games.
Former IBF bantamweight champion Bridges was not impressed. "Bruh… these transgenders competing in women's boxing at the the Olympics... male born transgenders, is f***ing sickening," she posted on X.
"It's f***ing disgusting that the Olympic committee would let these guys/girls who still look like men compete against women.
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"And these biological men who want to compete in women’s boxing must be sadists or something because any man knows how much stronger they are than females and it’s also why a man hitting a women is so bad. The biological difference IS REAL. What the f***. Honestly unbelievable and sick.
"Who ever on the committee agreed to this clearly doesn’t f***ing box or isn’t a female who’s been hit full strength by a male same weight to feel the noticeable difference.
"I feel so sorry for the biological born women who have worked so hard to get to this point in there career to then have to compete against a trans who literally was disqualified for being a man. Like, wtf has this world come to? This ain’t about breaking records it’s about breaking skulls."
On Thursday, the situation took a shocking turn when Italy's Angela Carini walked out of her welterweight (66kg) bout against Khelif.
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Carini called a stop to the bout after just 46 seconds and later collapsed to the floor in tears as her Olympic dream was taken from her.
Lin is due to box either Marcelat Sakobi or Sitora Turdibekova in the featherweight (57kg) division on Friday.
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“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 IOC said in a statement.
“The PBU endeavoured to restrict amendments to minimise the impact on athletes’ preparation and guaranteeing consistency between Olympic Games.”
IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said he would not comment on individuals. “That’s really invidious and unfair. But I would just say that everyone competing in the women’s category is complying with the competition eligibility rules. They are women in their passports and it is stated that is the case.”
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The IOC’s own MyInfo website acknowledges that both boxers failed gender eligibility tests last year.
Their internal system states that Khelif was "disqualified just hours before her gold medal showdown against Yang Liu at the 2023 World Championships in New Delhi, India, after her elevated levels of testosterone failed to meet the eligibility criteria”.
The IOC website also reads that Lin was 'stripped of her bronze medal after failing to meet eligibility requirements based on the results of a biochemical test.'
“As for the question about testosterone and going through male puberty, we issued a framework document to all the federations,” Adams added. “And everyone would love to have a single answer: yes, no, yes, no. But it’s incredibly complex.
“And actually it boils down to not just sport by sport, but discipline by discipline. So people may have an advantage in this discipline and not in this discipline if they have been through male puberty or not.”
Former world champion Barry McGuigan is also uneasy about the decision. "It’s shocking that they were actually allowed to get this far, what is going on?"
Claressa Shields, a gold medal winner in 2012 and 2016, said: "So they got men fighting against women in Olympics boxing. I wouldn't have stood for no stuff like that! That is so heartbreaking to the women who have to have their dreams ruined by a man. Sad asf!"
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