Olympics
Forty six seconds, two punches and a minefield
Thursday’s Olympic bout between Imane Khelif and Angela Carini quickly turned ugly off the ring and blowback permeated well into Friday, when the IOC was forced to address a barrage of questions regarding its handling of gender issues in boxing.
Khelif’s second right hand hit Carini’s nose and the International Olympic Committee right in the gut as it struggles to find a caretaker for the sport globally, after stripping down the International Boxing Association in 2023 because of governance concerns. It was a worst-case scenario of sorts for the Paris 2024 organisers when the fight was called just 46 seconds after the Italian decided to retire, alleging that the punch “hurt me a lot”.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams expressed his get-well wishes the next morning, stating that “we don’t like to see injury to any athlete, obviously, and hope that she makes a full recovery”. But by then, the bout had scaled into a full-blown tornado well beyond the Paris arena. Or as the Englishman himself eloquently put it, “a minefield”.
Boxing in the 66kg category, Khelif had been previously disqualified from the 2023 World Championships in New Delhi because she did not meet “eligibility criteria” according to the IBA. Yet, like Taiwan’s Lin Yu Ting, who boxes at 57kg and also failed such test by the global federation, she was still allowed to compete in the 2024 Olympics, the same way she did three years earlier in Tokyo.
The evident power struggle between both sports governing bodies has spilled into the political and social media arena as well, with politicians and celebrities aplenty chiming in the latest gender-spiked controversy: from US presidential candidate Donald Trump to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Citing athlete safety, the noise keeps rising while the safeguarding of the affected individuals also hangs in the balance, with online abuse another pressing concern.
“It’s a thorny issue which is part of a culture war-discussion. No one likes to see online aggression by anyone and we have had quite a bit of it. It’s unacceptable. We would hope that that stops. I’m not sure we can make it stop but it’s not helpful for the Games,” Adams understated. “These athletes are women. This was a made-up overnight test (by IBA). I don’t think we should give that any credence at all. If we do that, we start having the kind of witch hunts that we are having now.”
A delicate, controversial, complex, multi-layered subject that requires a serene discussion among experts in the field has been anything but since Carini’s almost immediate surrender. The matter of eligibility in this specific instance traces back the decision to the athlete’s passport and registered gender, according to the IOC. “The Algerian boxer was born female, registered female, lived her life as a female and boxed as a female. This is not a transgender case,” emphasised Adams. “This is not a man fighting a woman. Scientifically on this, there is consensus”.
Where consensus is lacking, however, is in how it is possible to establish a fair fight in such cases, especially regarding a combat discipline like boxing. One of the reasons that world sports did away with sex testing is the practical impossibility of applying a comprehensive, working, non-discriminatory protocol.
“For the time being, we have to go with the passport,” Adams argued. “We encourage a consensus. We have been addressing that for a while and it’s something to consider very seriously after the Paris Games. This is a minefield and we want a simple, black-and-white explanation of how we can determine this. That explanation does not exist neither in the scientific world nor anywhere else. If we can find a consensus, we will certainly work to apply that. Clearly that’s not going to happen at these Games but this is a question in all sports and we are open to listen to anyone with a solution”.
Openly critical of the IOC’s handling of the case, IBA is not expected to be part of that equation anytime soon, as the body presided by Thomas Bach has considered the Delhi disqualifications arbitrary decisions. “No one should change the rule during a competition. This decision was taken overnight by the CEO and maybe had something to do with the results beforehand, but we don’t really know. Fortunately, it’s not up to us to act on those suspicions because, if we did, we would probably be dealing with that forever,” the IOC spokesman said.
Adams also referenced sex testing, which ended in 1999. “I don’t think anyone from the athlete, political or scientific community wants to see a return to those scenes even if there were a sex test that everyone agreed with the criteria. I have spoken to some athletes who endured those sex tests in their teens and it was pretty disgraceful. Luckily it is behind us,” he explained.
The main controversy now lies with the Delhi testing protocol, whose results IBA considered “conclusively indicated” that both Khelif and Lin failed to meet the required eligibility criteria and gave them a competitive advantage over other female competitors. Since removed, the Algerian’s Paris 2024 bio profile stated that she had been disqualified from said world championships for elevated levels of testosterone.
While the IOC’s understanding is that it was indeed the case, it decided to erase that information after the Carini bout, alleging that there are many women who register higher testosterone levels than men and preferred not to elevate that test outcome into a truth.
“We have no knowledge of what the test where. They were cobbled together overnight to change the results. If you start working on suspicions, then we are in trouble and heading towards a gender-testing regime, which is not good for anybody. This woman has competed for a very long time against many opponents,” Adams repeated.
Like the IBA, the IOC insists that it always puts the interest of the athlete first. But walking the fine line between inclusivity, fairness and safety is a difficult balancing act. “A woman boxer is being stigmatised and potentially being forced out of competition. We need to look after them,” the Englishman reminded.
As for the controversy possibly undermining boxing’s options of making the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic programme, Adams denied such a notion. “We sincerely hope that it’s going to be in. It’s a good sport to watch that does a lot for socially deprived areas and people and we absolutely, actively want it to be in the Olympics. We took our role in the last two Games, but we are not a federation and don’t want to carry on. We encourage those who love boxing, particularly national federations, to work towards a new international body. I’m optimistic and the will is there by the IOC, which is important”.
Indeed, it is. Asked if he had watched the Carini-Khelif fight, Adams answered affirmatively, stating the obvious: that “it was over far too quickly”.
As for the controversy surrounding it, the IOC can only hope.
-insidethegames
The Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will feature an increase in women’s soccer teams from 12 to 16, while the men’s competition will be downsized from 16 to a dozen teams, the International Olympic Committee said on Wednesday.
The decision was part of several changes to the Olympic event programme, including more mixed events across various sports and all team sports featuring at least the same number of women’s and men’s teams.
The IOC said the reason for the sharp increase in women’s soccer teams was the rapidly growing popularity of women’s team sports, especially in the United States, and that change in the competition format reflected that rapid growth.
“We wanted to do something to reflect that growth and equally with the United States being the home of the highest level of popularity of women’s football,” IOC sports director Kit McConnell told a press conference.
He said the IOC had discussed the issue with both LA Games organisers and world soccer’s governing body FIFA before going through with the changes.
The total number of players — men’s and women’s — would not change.
The United States, who will also host the 2026 men’s and the 2031 women’s World Cup, have won five Olympic gold medals in the women’s competition.
The men’s teams use mostly under-23 players at Olympic Games.
The LA Games will have a total of 351 medal events in all sports, 22 more than at Paris 2024 Olympics.
Several sports, including archery, athletics, golf and gymnastics will be adding new mixed-team events, with the total number of athletes unchanged at 10,500.
The five sports proposed by the LA Games organising committee — baseball/softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash — will have an extra 698 quota places.
-Reuters
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BY JAVIER CARRO.
A young African woman. At the summit of modern Olympism, Kirsty Coventry takes on the challenge of occupying the most powerful position in the world of sport with plenty geopolitical roadblocks ahead for the newly-elected IOC president.
At 41 years old, Coventry was the winner by absolute majority after surpassing the other six candidates, which automatically makes her the tenth leader to take the reins of the International Olympic Committee in 130 years of history.
Now she has the challenge of leading the movement in an era of digital transformation, political responsibilities, and growing environmental concerns.
“A new era demands new leaders,” said the outgoing leader Thomas Bach at the beginning of the session, something that many saw as the German’s final push for his favourite candidate.
It was time for a woman, a woman who would occupy the chair once held by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games and a declared misogynist who believed that women’s only role in this arena was to crown the champions with laurel.
Coventry is congratulated by members of the IOC after being elected. GETTY IMAGES
After her victory, the Zimbabwean addressed the audience to express her gratitude: “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thanks to all the candidates; this has been an incredible race, making us better and strengthening our movement. I am confident that when we unite, we can develop the ideas we share. Thank you so much for this honour.”
The current Zimbabwean Minister of Sports, an Olympic swimming champion in 2004 and 2008, Coventry ascended to the highest chair in the IOC with a discreet presence but the unstoppable momentum of a history-maker.
Not only is she the first woman to hold this position, but she is also the first African and the youngest president since Pierre de Coubertin.
With Coventry, Africa reaches the Olympic summit for the first time. Until now, all IOC leaders had been European, except for American Avery Brundage.
Bach, the German who championed gender parity at the Paris Olympics, considers his mission of equality fulfilled with her succession.
Under his tenure, the IOC Assembly increased its female membership from less than 20% to 44%, with 48 women now part of the organization.
It is widely inferred that female votes played a crucial role in Coventry’s election. Additionally, 81 members—three-quarters of the Assembly—were elected under Bach’s leadership.
“Women are ready to lead,” the new president recently stated, anticipating the moment of glory she now embraces. She remains one of the most outstanding figures in African sports history and the most decorated African Olympian, with seven medals from Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 (two gold, four silver, and one bronze). After retiring from competition, she served as Zimbabwe’s Minister of Sports while also chairing the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission, one of the most influential bodies within the Committee.
She parlayed those credentials into a leadership position where she will need to be adept at integrating athletes’ perspectives and strengthening inclusion within the Olympic movement. Her leadership of the Commission and her role on the Executive Board have made her a prominent figure, especially in an era where diversity and gender equality are alleged priorities.
Although she will not officially assume the presidency until June 23, when Bach steps down, Coventry will soon have to tackle major issues. These include the reintegration of Russia into the Olympic Games, the economic challenges faced by the World Anti-Doping Agency due to US budget cuts, the participation of transgender athletes in elite competitions, the loss of several major Olympic sponsors, the negotiation of broadcasting contracts, and the selection of a host city for the 2036 Games.
The most pressing challenge she faces is the controversial issue of transgender athletes being allowed to compete in elite sports. The IOC currently permits their participation, but the lack of a universal standard has sparked polarising reactions worlwide. Coventry has taken a conservative stance on this matter, seeking not to rewrite existing rules but to encourage cooperation among federations to establish a common framework.
“I do not support transgender athletes competing in the Olympics against female athletes, as it is unfair to them. Ensuring fairness in women’s sports is essential,” she stated firmly, as she believes that “trans women have an inherent physical advantage in female categories, which potentially reduces equitable opportunities for biological women.”
Similarly, Coventry has promised a strong stance on addressing gender inequality in leadership roles, arguing that women should not be an exception in the sports world. While progress has been made toward gender equality, she acknowledges that there is still much work to be done. “At Paris 2024, we achieved gender parity in competition, but in federations and national committees, the gap remains significant,” she warned. “It is not just about increasing the number of women in sports but ensuring they have a voice and a vote in key positions. Female leadership should not be the exception but the norm within sports organisations,” Coventry added.
Another major issue Coventry will need to address is the ongoing war in Ukraine, which has left Russian and Belarusian athletes in a competitive limbo for several years.
She will have to navigate the delicate matter of Russia’s return to the Olympic stage. Since the country’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the IOC banned the Russian Olympic Committee, allowing only a select group of athletes to compete as neutrals in Paris 2024.
However, full reintegration remains a contentious issue, requiring a balance between diplomacy and sporting integrity.
Whether Russia can return in time for Milano Cortina 2026 is likely to be one of the defining topics of her presidency once she officially takes office in three months.
Coventry’s position on these matters remains somewhat ambiguous. In recent statements, she said, “Our duty as the IOC is to ensure that all athletes can participate in the Games. This is not just about the major wars and conflicts in Europe and the Middle East; there are also wars and conflicts in Africa.
“ If I am elected President of the IOC, I will establish a task force to develop guidelines to help us manage these periods of conflict, prioritising athletes’ interests.”
On the positive side, the new IOC boss will inherit an organisation in a robust financial position; therefore, billions seem secured in media rights and sponsorship deals.
Bach’s departure comes at a time when it guaranteed $7.3 billion (€6.7bn) in revenue from broadcasting, partnerships, and other sources for the 2025–28 cycle, along with $6.2 billion (€5.7bn) already locked in for 2029–32.
Last week, the IOC also announced a $3 billion (€2.7bn) extension of its Olympic media rights agreement with NBCUniversal in the United States until 2036.
However, the recent departure of several sponsors, such as Japanese giants Toyota and Panasonic, has fuelled calls for changes to its commercial structure.
Yet, financial stability does not guarantee smooth sailing in a landscape where sport is increasingly shaped by politics, technology, and shifting social expectations.
To balance financial growth with the fundamental values of the Olympic movement, Coventry believes that “it is about finding ways to ensure that, above all, we take care of our stakeholders to deliver incredible multi-sport events at the highest level.
“Yes, this requires more money, and we must find ways to make it sustainable. For example, when engaging with host cities, we are adapting the model to what they already have.
“We no longer demand the construction of new venues because that is no longer viable. This shift helps increase revenue while controlling.”
Coventry joined the Olympic assembly 12 years ago as an athletes’ representative and was later renewed as a permanent member.
Since then, Bach has kept her by his side, granting her positions of increasing responsibility.
She currently chairs the coordination commissions for the Dakar 2026 Youth Games and the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games, among other roles she will have to relinquish upon assuming the presidency.
Her ascent to the Olympic throne breaks the glass ceiling of the IOC and marks the beginning of a new era in the sporting world.
“I will make you feel proud and confident in the decision you have made today,” proclaimed Coventry after her landslide victory
-Inside The Games
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History has been made at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry becomes the president as the first woman and African to do so.
Two decades after winning her first Olympic gold in Greece, Kirsty Coventry was victorious again in the Mediterranean country as she was elected as the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) first female president on March 20.
The 41-year-old Zimbabwean, a former swimmer who won the women’s 200m backstroke at Athens 2004 before retaining it at Beijing 2008, also becomes the IOC’s first African president.
Coventry, who also has four Olympic silvers and a bronze, will serve an eight-year term, with the possibility of a four-year extension.
“This is an extraordinary moment. As a nine-year-old girl I never thought that I would stand up here one day, getting to give back to this incredible movement of ours,” Coventry said.
“This is not just a huge honour but it is a reminder to every single one of you that I will lead this organisation with so much pride, with the values at the core and I will make all of you very, very proud and, I hope, extremely confident in the decision you’ve taken today.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Coventry succeeds 71-year-old German Thomas Bach, who steps down after a 12-year reign and has been named honorary president.
Strongly believed to be Bach’s favoured candidate, Coventry was thought to be in a tight-run race with IOC veteran Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr of Spain and World Athletics’ British chief Sebastian Coe.
However, to general surprise, the most powerful job in world sport reached its conclusion after just one round of voting at a luxury seaside resort in Greece’s south-western Peloponnese, with a majority of the IOC members placing their faith in Coventry to meet the serious challenges that lie ahead.
She secured 49 votes, the majority required from the 97 possible votes, with zero abstentions.
Samaranch Jr and Coe had 28 and eight votes respectively, while Frenchman David Lappartient (four), Japan’s Morinari Watanabe (four), Jordan’s Prince Feisal Al-Hussein (two) and Swedish-born Johan Eliasch (two) completed the field.
-Reuters/Xinhua
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