After the International Boxing Association (IBA) said it would file criminal complaints against the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for allowing women boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics on Monday, Khelif released a statement on her social media saying her team will “pursue all available legal avenues” against the Russia-led boxing body.
An executive order on transgender athletes by United States President Donald Trump was cited by the IBA, which has been banished from the Olympics, in its complaints. IBA said the said participations “may serve as grounds for criminal prosecution.”
The two boxers were excluded from the IBA’s 2023 World Championships after claims they failed gender eligibility tests, but the IOC cleared them to fight, which saw them both clinch gold medals in the French capital. Neither Khelif nor Lin are transgender women.
“According to the Swiss law, any action or inaction that poses a safety risk to competition participants warrants investigation and may serve as grounds for criminal prosecution,” the IBA said, adding “similar complaints are to be filed with the Attorneys General of France and the USA.”
Khelif hit back at IBA’s claims, saying: “I have fought through every setback, every false accusation, every attempt to erase me. And I have won. Each obstacle has only strengthened my resolve… My team is carefully reviewing the situation and will take all necessary legal steps to ensure that my rights and the principles of fair competition are upheld. I am not going anywhere. I will fight in the ring, I will fight in courts, and I will fight in the public eye until the truth is undeniable.”
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The Algerian boxer added, “… silence is no longer an option. The International Boxing Association (IBA), an organization that I am no longer associated with and which is no longer recognized by the International Olympic Committee, have again made baseless accusations that are false and offensive, using them to further their agenda. This is a matter that concerns not just me but the broader principles of fairness and due process in sport.”