Olympic committee speaks out on ‘gender eligibility test’ that was imposed on Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting

Olympic organisers have slammed 'gender eligibility tests' imposed by the International Boxing Association on Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting as 'flawed'.

Boxing at the 2024 Paris Olympics has been marred by the ongoing gender eligibility row surrounding Algerian competitor Khelif, 25, and 28-year-old Taiwanese star Lin.

The pair have found themselves at the centre of a social media storm after critics brought their disqualification from last year’s World Boxing Championships to public attention.

The body that oversaw the 2023 event - the International Boxing Association (IBA) - claimed both Olympians failed 'gender eligibility tests' and were thus disqualified from the competition.

Imane Khelif's competitor withdrew just 46 seconds into their boxing bout. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

At the time, the IBA claimed the pair failed ‘to meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors’.

Following the fallout, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has condemned the now-banned sports governing body.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams claimed that both Khelif and Lin were ‘carted off and tested’ during the World Boxing Championships because there were ‘suspicions against them’.

“I need hardly say if we start acting on suspicions against every athlete of whatever, then we go down a very bad route,” he continued to tell the Associated Press.

Lin Yu-Ting is a Taiwanese boxer competing at the 2024 Olympics. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

The IOC has also rejected the testing process in its entirety.

“There’s a whole range of reasons why we won’t deal with this,” Adams said. “Partly confidentiality. Partly medical issues. Partly that there was no basis for the test in the first place. And partly data-sharing of this is also highly against the rules, international rules.”

He added that the ‘whole process [was] flawed’ and that it was ‘impossible’ to engage with.

The IOC originally cut ties with the IBA in 2019 due to alleged corruption and governance issues, according to the BBC.

Prior to the rejection, Olympic organisers recognised the IBA as amateur boxing’s worldwide governing body from its inception in 1946.

Khelif’s gender was first brought into discussion last week after Italian Angela Carini, 25, withdrew just 46 seconds into their boxing bout.

Khelif is through to the semi-finals. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

Despite the vitriol, the boxer continues her quest for Olympic gold and is guaranteed a podium place after defeating Hungarian boxer Anna Luca Hamori.

Since her gender was questioned by sports stars and celebrities alike, Khelif has asked the press and general public to ‘refrain from bullying athletes’.

“I send a message to all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes, because this has effects, massive effects,” she told SNTV in Arabic.

“It can destroy people, it can kill people’s thoughts, spirit and mind. It can divide people. And because of that, I ask them to refrain from bullying.”

The welterweight added that her family is ‘worried’ about her following the gender eligibility row and that she hopes the ‘crisis will culminate in a gold medal’.

Meanwhile, Lin is also guaranteed a medal after recently beating Bulgarian's Svetlana Staneva, 34, by unanimous decision.

The boxer is due to face Turkey's Esra Yildiz Kahraman, 27 in Wednesday’s (7 August) semi-finals while Khelif will face Janjaem Suwannapheng, 23, on Tuesday (6 August).

Tyla has contacted the International Boxing Association for comment.