The International Boxing Association (IBA) has launched legal action against the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over its inclusion of gender eligibility row boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting at the Paris 2024 Games.
Citing President Trump’s recent order banning trans athletes from women’s sport, the IBA said it was filing official complaints with the attorney generals of Switzerland, France and the US, which it claims could lead to criminal prosecution or compensation.
Khelif of Algeria and Yu-ting of Taiwan were assigned female at birth and identify as women, so were permitted by the IOC to compete at the Paris Olympics – where they both won gold medals – despite the IBA previously declaring them ineligible.
“President Trump’s order to ban transgender athletes from women’s sport validates IBA’s efforts to protect the integrity of female sports,” said IBA President Umar Kremlev.
“Our actions aim to ensure gender equality in boxing. We urge other international federations to follow IBA’s example, as we are uniquely positioned to address this issue and advocate for our athletes’ rights.”
The IBA added that it would financially support any athletes who wished to make similar complaints against the IOC and its outgoing president Thomas Bach.
“In my personal opinion, Thomas Bach should take the full responsibility for this, as he was in charge when it happened, and he needs to compensate the damages caused, if the court or any other instance rules this,” said Kremlev.
Explained: Boxing’s gender eligibility row
The move is the latest twist in a bitter and long-running row between the Russia-led IBA and IOC, which in 2023 stripped the association of its role in organising Olympic boxing competitions, citing concerns over ethics and finances.
It comes after Trump last week waded into the row over gender eligibility with an executive order entitled “Keeping men out of women’s sports”. The US wants the IOC to have clearer rules, having previously allowed each sport to decide its approach.
Seb Coe, one of the leading candidates to succeed Bach as IOC president at elections next month, has promised to take a tougher stance if he wins.
Despite declaring that Khelif and Yu-ting failed gender eligibility tests for the 2023 World Championships, the IBA has not produced any evidence to back up its claim.
Khelif filed legal complaints with French authorities last year over harassment she received during the Paris Olympics and reports that she had male XY chromosomes.
Khelif said after winning gold: “I am fully qualified to take part in this competition – I am a woman. I was born a woman, I’ve lived as a woman and I’ve competed as a woman.
“There’s no doubt that there are enemies of success and that gives my success a special taste because of these attacks.”