In a bold stance on a controversial issue in women’s boxing, former IBF bantamweight champion Ebanie Bridges has called for the banning of Olympic gold medalists Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting from the sport.
The two athletes, Khelif from Algeria and Yu-ting from Taiwan, secured gold medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics despite having been previously disqualified from the 2023 World Championships for failing gender eligibility tests.
The situation has escalated as the International Boxing Association (IBA), led by Russian officials, has initiated legal action against the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IBA is filing complaints to attorney generals in Switzerland, France, and the USA regarding the IOC’s decision to allow these athletes to compete.
“I think they should be banned,” Bridges told Daily Mail Australia. “I think the IOC is trying to be too woke or whatever and [there] needs to be clear lines, or let women take steroids [to compete against these athletes].”
The controversy has gained additional attention following President Donald Trump’s recent executive order prohibiting transgender women from participating in female sports in the USA, particularly targeting the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“I’m so happy Trump has put his foot down about this to keep integrity and save women’s sport because reality is if they let it continue, women won’t be winning sport anymore,” Bridges said.
IBA president Umar Kremlev has offered financial support to Paris 2024 boxers who wish to pursue legal action. “President Trump’s order to ban transgender athletes from women’s sport validates IBA’s efforts to protect the integrity of female sports,” Kremlev stated. “Our actions aim to ensure gender equality in boxing.”
The IOC, which stripped the IBA of its governing body status in 2023 over ethical and financial concerns, maintains that the IBA failed to provide evidence of the failed gender eligibility tests. The IOC subsequently managed the boxing tournament at the Paris Olympics, where both Khelif and Yu-ting were permitted to compete and ultimately won gold medals.
