Both Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting are just one win each away from grabbing a boxing medal at the Paris Olympics in their respective women’s weight categories.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) caused a stir earlier this week when it confirmed that both Yu-ting and Khelif were cleared to compete in Paris despite being disqualified from the women’s world championships last year.
The furore surrounding their involvement stems from the event in New Delhi last year when the organisers – International Boxing Association (IBA) – disqualified both fighters during the tournament after failing ‘gender eligibiity tests’.
The IBA claimed that the test ‘conclusively indicated’ that both fighters had a ‘competitive advantage over other female competitors’.
Lin Yu-ting comfortably defeated Sitora Turdibekova
REUTERS
But they stopped short of revealing the specifics of their gender eligibility test as they kept it ‘confidential’.
Meanwhile, the IOC’s criteria is based on what gender is indicated on the boxers’ passport.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams dismissed the suggestion that high levels of testosterone were indicators alone that a female boxer would have an advantage over her competitors.
“There are many women with higher levels than men so the idea that a testosterone test is some kind of magic bullet is not true,” he said.
Both boxers appear to be caught in the middle of a row between the IOC and IBA due to their differing eligibility criterias.
But their involvement has led to widespread anger on social media with Khelif and Yu-ting targeted with vitriolic and hateful messages.
Khelif kicked off her campaign in the 66kg category against Italy’s Angela Carini with the fight over after just 46 seconds.
Carini felt unable to continue after being hit with two punches from Khelif as the Italian fell to her knees on the canvas in tears.
Imane Khelif is through to the quarter-finals of the 66kg category
GETTY
Khelif, the No 5 seed in her category, now faces Hungarian Luca Hamori in the quarter-finals on Saturday.
If the Algerian boxer wins then she will be guaranteed a medal by reaching the semi-finals.
She would face either Busenaz Surmeneli of Turkey or Janjaem Suwannapheng for a place in the gold-medal match.
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Lin Yu-ting won her opening bout of the competition
REUTERS
Yu-ting also got off to a winning start in the 57kg category as she comfortably defeated Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova.
The Chinese Taipei athlete will face Svetlana Staneva for a place in the semi-finals and similarly guarantee a medal.
Yu-ting is the No 1 seed in the women’s 57kg category and is a two-time women’s world champion.