The IOC said it is « saddened by the abuse » that Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting have faced at the Paris Olympics, saying, « Every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination. »
PARIS — The International Olympic Committee on Thursday defended its decision to allow two female boxers to compete at the Paris Olympics despite an ongoing gender controversy, saying the pair were facing « aggression » because of an arbitrary decision.
Algeria’s Imane Khelif, who won her round of 16 welterweight bout over Italy’s Angela Carini in 46 seconds, and Taiwan’s double world champion Lin Yu-ting, who is fighting on Friday, have been cleared to compete in the Olympics.
Khelif’s lightning-quick win over Carini, who decided to pull out after a barrage of punches, piled more pressure on the IOC for allowing Khelif and Lin to box in Paris.
« The IOC is saddened by the abuse that the two athletes are currently receiving », the IOC said in a statement Wednesday.
