On August 4, 2024, journalist Stanislav Lipsky brought up the topic of gender identity among Olympic participants in his report from Paris.
He said, “We are talking about women's boxing, where transgender individuals continue to win. Lin Yu-ting, who identifies as a woman but failed a gender test, defeated a representative from Uzbekistan... And earlier, an Algerian athlete, a man by birth, defeated an Italian who had to stop the fight, fearing for her health.”
On August 1, 2024, Grigory Azarenok also shared his thoughts on this during 'Azarenok. Napryamuyu':
“This is an Algerian. This is a former man who either had it cut off between the legs or didn't. Here an Italian woman comes out. She seems normal so far.”
The athletes in question are Imane Khelif from Algeria and Lin Yu-ting from Taiwan. Both are strong opponents. However, at the 2019 Women's World Boxing Championship in Russia, Taiwanese Lin Yu-ting lost the silver medal bout to a Russian. At the time, her gender was not disputed. However, during the fight, commentators noted that the Taiwanese was not fighting at full strength: “It's as if she's not boxing at full throttle, it feels like she could have put in more if she wanted to.”
Following that match, the Russian athlete expressed uncertainty about fighting a “girl.”
Similar accusations have been made against Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. However, no one has proven that either both athletes are biologically male or have changed their gender. As evidence of their transgender identity, the International Boxing Association cites the results of a gender test conducted in 2023. Some sources claim it showed the presence of the male Y chromosome, while others indicate high testosterone levels. However, this test was an individual initiative, and there are no documents mandating its implementation.
There is indirect evidence suggesting that Imane Khelif is female, including a birth certificate showing she was born a girl and childhood photographs. Additionally, gender reassignment is illegal in Algeria, and Khelif's athletic performance has been inconsistent. She placed 33rd and 17th in previous World Championships and lost in the quarterfinals at the 2020 Olympics, competing against biological females.
There has been a long-standing discussion about implementing mandatory gender testing for athletes. However, geneticists have not agreed on the most reliable criteria for determining gender due to the nuances involved.
For example, the track and field athlete Caster Semenya has female genitalia from birth, but no uterus, and her testosterone level is like that of a man. Additionally, the presence of the Y chromosome does not always indicate a biological male; it could be a female with genetic variations.
Therefore, the current rule in sports is, that a woman is one whose passport says she is a woman.