Irish group, The Countess, are amongst many women’s rights organisations who are now seeking apologies from those who supported boxer Imane Khelif’s controversial inclusion in the women’s boxing at the Paris Olympics, after a leaked medical report at the weekend indicated the boxer is biologically male.
Khelif won Olympic Gold at the games, but the contentious match made global headlines as the Algerian boxer faced off against Italy’s Angela Carini who quit after a 46-second fight in which Carini said she had “never felt a punch like this”.
Ms Carini dropped to her knees after Algerian boxer Khelif was announced the winner of the fight by abandonment: having called out to her coach ‘non è giusto – ‘this is unjust’.
Journalist Oliver Brown described the “right hand from Imane Khelif that left Angela Carini unable to continue”, adding ” There was blood on her shorts”. He said that Khelif had been thrown out of last year’s World Championships after failing biochemical tests for testosterone,
Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, weighed in at the time, attacking those opposing Khelif’s inclusion, saying they were a “bunch of bullies” and adding he would donate to legal fees incurred by Khelif in the complaint.
“Fair play to Imane Khelif. I hope she has financial support for her law suit. I’d be happy to make a donation,” Mr Varadkar said.
Broadcaster Matt Cooper and pundit Joe Brolly were also amongst those supporting Khelif – and women’s rights group The Countess has called on all who made such statements to apologise.
The Countess said that “all the men who supported Khelif, now proven to be male, to punch women in the boxing ring” should be “lining up to issue profuse apologies to the women they wronged,” adding that they believe the IOC “allowed men to cheat women out of awards and sponsorships.”
The group, founded by barrister Laoise de Brún, also pointed to a statement by Matt Cooper where he noted that “the Italian boxer Angela Carini has apologized to fellow Olympian, the Algerian woman Imanen Khelif. Others should follow with their apologies.”
“Non è giusto. It’s not fair,” they posted on X, saying Angela Carini was “forced into the ring to fight a male boxer” and that the authorities “all knew he was a man but still pressured Angela Carini to apologise.”
At the weekend, Rowling also took aim at UCD Gender Studies for their previous post on X which shared an article claiming “JK Rowling
“I never said and never believed Khelif was trans. I knew* he was a man. The gender activists who created a political climate in which sex testing was seen as ‘bigoted’ are as culpable as the IOC for the travesty that ensued. *via a highly credible source who saw his test results,” she posted.
TV host Piers Morgan also posted on X: ‘”The biology-denying woke brigade abused and shamed me for saying it was outrageous and dangerous for Khelif to be beating up women at the Olympics. I’m ready for their apology, but won’t hold my breath.”
Last August, Dr Shane Heffernan who has a PhD in molecular genetics in elite sports and was researching attitudes amongst athletes think about competitors with differences in sex development (DSD), told BBC that he believed the IOC was not basing its eligibility criteria on the best available science.
“This is worrying. The IOC makes an ‘assumption of no advantage’ – but there is no direct evidence for this, nor that there is a performance advantage with DSD athletes solely because of their genetic variations.
“We simply don’t have enough data. Many people hold an emotional position when it comes to inclusion in the female category, but how can the IOC justify this position – without the data to support it?”
He is one of many people who are urging the Olympics committee, international federations and funding councils to invest in research on athletes with a DSD – but he appreciates it’s difficult, because there can be a lot of stigma towards the individual athletes when it comes to these conditions.
Some are calling for mandatory sex testing at the next Olympics – including Reem Alsalem, the UN’s special rapporteur on violence against women and girls.
“Screening DNA is now a piece of cake,” Dr Emma Hilton says. “A simple cheek swab would be sufficient, and it’s minimally invasive.”