The IOC ends the controversy surrounding boxer Imane Khelif

Excuse the non-hockey take for a moment here, but a controversial win in Olympic women's boxing at Paris 2024 has turned the entire sports world upside down today.

At the center of the controversy is Algerian women's boxer Imane Khelif. She defeated Italian Angela Carini in just 46 seconds after it was suspected that she broke Carini's nose. Now... why is this controversial? Well, there seems to be a misconception that Khelif is actually a biological male who either identifies as or transitioned to female. In fact, right wing websites and social media accounts are having a complete field day with this narrative.

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The problem is...

Khelif is a biological female and has been since birth.

Her more masculine appearance is due to more naturally heightened testosterone from a disorder of sex development (DSD) which causes some women to have XY chromosomes and blood testosterone levels typical of men. It's also worth noting that in Algeria, the country Khelif represents and has lived in her entire life, identifying as transgender or changing gender via surgery or hormonal treatment is illegal. She has undergone all Olympic testing and has been found eligible to compete.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has even had to release a statement to clarify the misinformation spreading about Khelif.

"Everyone has the right to practice sport without discrimination."

"All athletes participating in the boxing tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games comply with the competition's eligibility and entry rules, as well as all applicable medical regulations set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (UBP). As with previous Olympic boxing competitions, athletes' gender and age are based on their passport."

“We have seen misleading information in the reports about two female athletes competing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Both athletes have been competing in international boxing competitions in the women’s category for many years, including at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships and IBA-sanctioned tournaments. Both athletes were victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA. Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process."

Personally, I'm a big supporter of women's sports and in preserving the competitive fairness in women's divisions. I support trans-women and their rights to legally and culturally identify as a women. To me, trans-women ARE women, full stop. I appreciate that not everyone accepts that and that's okay with me. We can all have our own opinions on the matter and be respectful of each other.

However, there are inherent biological differences between men and women and those differences cannot be ignored. Those differences begin at birth and they are made more apparent through puberty and adolescent development. If a man transitions into a woman post-puberty, I cannot support them competing in women's sports. The biological advantages of developing into a male body are too great to overcome for most women, regardless of their skill, speed or strength. It's simply and apples to oranges argument. 

In the case of Khelif though... she's a biological woman and has every right to compete against other women. If you're firmly in the camp of 'women should only compete against women' then Khelif fits those parameters. If you think she should be facing men because of her heightened testosterone levels then you're making the argument for cross-gender competition.

It's a messy situation, no doubt. But don't get things twisted, there's more than meets the eye when it comes to this particular situation.