Fights
‘Khelif has an unfair advantage’ – journalist on women’s boxing competitions at the Paris Olympics
Iman Khelif / Photo: © Richard Pelham / Stringer / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru
British journalist Piers Morgan called it unfair to allow athletes born with male chromosomes to participate in women’s competitions, as this gives them a physiological advantage over biological women.
Earlier, Italian Angela Carini burst into tears after refusing to continue a boxing match in the 1/8 finals in the 66 kg weight category against Algerian Iman Khelif at the 2024 Olympics. In 2023, the International Boxing Association (IBA) suspended Khelif and Lin Yuting (Taiwan) during the World Championships in India due to failure to meet the eligibility criteria. A gender test proved that the athletes have XY chromosomes. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed them to compete in women’s competitions in 2024.
— This is a more complex case than the flurry of transgender scandals that have engulfed women’s sports in recent years. Khelif reportedly has a condition in which she has some female reproductive organs, but her testosterone levels are much higher than those of women. As a result, she is physically superior to women, as evidenced by her powerful physique. In other words, she has an unfair advantage.
The undeniable medical and scientific truth is that anyone born with male “biology” has a distinct physical advantage over biological women. That’s why we separate women’s and men’s events at the Olympics. If we didn’t, women would hardly win a single medal. To pretend otherwise is either deeply mistaken or intentionally lying.
“I believe that all transgender athletes should be banned from competing in women’s events. The same applies to athletes born with XY chromosomes, which also give them a physiological advantage over biological women. They should either compete with men, as most have done in the past, or in the new open category. What happened in the Olympic boxing ring cannot be repeated, or the spirit and integrity of the Games will be irreparably tarnished,” Morgan wrote in his column for The Sun.
The Olympic Games will end on August 11.
Source: Sportbox
Hi, my name is Jayden James. I am a writer at Sportish, and I mostly cover sports news. I have been writing since high school and have been published in various magazines and newspapers. I also write book reviews for a website. In my free time, I enjoy playing soccer and basketball.