2024 Summer Olympics boxing controversy

The boxing controversy at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris involved Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-Ting, whose eligibility to compete in the women’s boxing events at the Paris Olympic Games drew international attention.

Both athletes had previously been disqualified from the 2023 IBA Women’s World Championships after failing gender eligibility tests administered by the International Boxing Association (IBA). In the lead-up to the Paris Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) cleared both athletes to compete.

The controversy escalated following an August 1 match in Paris, where Khelif faced Italian boxer Angela Carini. After two head blows, Carini withdrew from the match, prompting widespread media speculation about Khelif’s gender eligibility.

Although neither Khelif nor Lin are transgender, the controversy became closely linked to broader public debates about trans women's inclusion in women's sports. Several public figures, including then U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump and author J. K. Rowling, referenced the incident in political commentary about women in sports, often incorrectly suggesting Khelif was transgender.

National sporting bodies from Algeria and Taiwan issued strong defences of their athletes who were facing harassment over their eligibility as women to compete, while the IOC reaffirmed the two athletes’ eligibility.

The incident occurred amid ongoing disputes between the IOC, which oversees the Olympic Games, and the IBA, boxing's long-time global governing body. The IBA had been expelled from the Olympic movement in 2023 due to governance concerns. While broader issues had already strained the relationship, the controversy surrounding Khelif and Lin was cited by some commentators as further illustrating the IBA’s governance problems, particularly regarding athlete eligibility procedures.