IOC Chief Links Paris Olympic Gender Dispute to Russian Misinformation

Thomas Bach claims a fake news campaign by Russia fueled controversy over two female boxers at the 2024 Games.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach stated that a gender dispute involving two female boxers at the Paris 2024 Olympics was driven by a Russian misinformation campaign.
The controversy centered around two athletes, Imane Khelif of Algeria and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan, who were previously banned by the International Boxing Association (IBA) due to chromosome testing but allowed to compete by the IOC.
Bach dismissed the dispute as baseless, noting that both athletes had competed without issue in prior events, including the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, and were biologically female.
The IOC had taken over the boxing competition at Paris 2024 after stripping the IBA of recognition in 2023 over governance and financial issues; the IBA is led by a Russian businessman with Kremlin ties.
Bach also expressed confidence in preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and highlighted Donald Trump’s support for the event, while suggesting boxing could soon regain its place in the 2028 program under a new governing body.