“They were not born female,” Martina Navratilova calls out IOC yet again on being ‘okay’ with male players participating in women’s categories

The IOC has decided not to pull trans-athletes from any event at the Summer Games.

“They were not born female,” Martina Navratilova calls out IOC yet again on being ‘okay’ with male players participating in women’s categories

Martina Navratilova (Via Imago)

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has continued to slam the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for allowing trans-athletes to compete in women’s events at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The American’s advocacy for only natural-born women competing in women’s sports has gained grounds after two trans-athletes have been reported to be competing in women’s football.

For over three days, the controversy around the eligibility of Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting and Algeria’s Imane Khelif has been questioned. Both athletes were disqualified from the World’s Boxing Championship in New Delhi last year after failing the International Boxing Association (IBA) gender requirement test.

At the Paris Olympics, however, Khelif is competing in the 66-kg category while Yu-ting is taking part in the 57-kg category. Recently, it was revealed that two Zambian trans-athletes have been the stars of their women’s football team. Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji scored three and two goals, respectively, in their 6-5 loss to Australia in their second group game at the Paris Olympics.

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Both players were banned from playing in the 2022 Women’s African Cup of Nations after failing the eligibility gender test. Martina Navratilova has bashed the IOC on social media for allowing natural-born male athletes to compete in women’s boxing and football events at the Olympics.

There are several male athletes (boxers and soccer players) competing as women and @iocmedia is ok with it. They were not born female. The DNA says male. This is not anti trans at all - it’s only trying to keep women’s category female. Get it now?
Martina Navratilova said on X (formerly known as Twitter)

The major reason behind these controversies remains that the IOC is independent from other sports associations-run events.

The IOC defends its decision to allow two trans-boxers to compete in women’s boxing at the Paris Olympics

On Tuesday (July 30), the IOC defended its decision to allow Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting to compete in the women’s boxing events at the Paris Olympics. Despite the duo failing a gender eligibility test at the 2023 World Boxing Championship, they will not be stopped from competing at the Olympics.

Paris Olympics finds itself in yet another controversy, this time with XY Chromosomes
Imane Khalif (L) and Lin Yu-ting winning an event (R)(Source: Instagram/X)

IOC spokesperson Mark Adams revealed that both athletes competed at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and have female passports.

Obviously I am not going to comment on individuals. That’s really invidious and unfair. But I would just say that everyone competing in the women’s category is complying with the competition eligibility rules. They are women in their passports and it is stated that is the case,”

Mark Adams said (via The Guardian)

Khelif will have a bout against Italian natural-born woman Angela Carini on Thursday (August 1), while Yu-ting has an unnamed opponent.

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