Are Men Competing as Women in the Olympics? The Facts Say: 'No!'

The decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to allow Algerian Imane Khelif and Taiwanese Lin Yu-Ting to participate in boxing competitions has sparked heated debates recently. Both athletes were disqualified during the world championships in Delhi last year, with the International Boxing Association stating they did not meet the requirements for the women's category.

Amid this, viral social media posts claim the IOC has permitted transwomen to compete in the women's category, with some users alleging that "men are beating women." Factcheck.bg has compiled known facts about the case.

Khelif and Yu-Ting do not identify as transwomen. They have consistently competed in women's competitions and have not identified as transwomen. However, in March 2023, the International Boxing Association disqualified them during the world championships in Delhi, just before Khelif's final match for the gold medal. A Thai competitor, previously eliminated in the semi-final, replaced her. Lin Yu-Ting was stripped of her bronze medal.

The International Boxing Association stated that the disqualification decision was not based on testosterone levels but another validated laboratory study, the specifics of which remain confidential. According to meeting minutes, the decision was made solely by IBA general secretary Umar Kremlev and later ratified by the board of directors. Kremlev later stated on his Telegram channel that the boxers were excluded because they "have XY chromosomes," though this information is not officially disclosed by the IBA.

There is no publicly known data on whether either boxer is intersex, a term describing individuals who cannot be unequivocally classified as male or female biologically. The IBA, which...