“It’s not a gender row, it’s a sex row,” Martina Navratilova slams IOC as gender test failed boxer Imane Khelif wins gold at Paris Olympics

Martina Navratilova once again voiced her opinion against Imane Khelif competing and winning the Paris Olympics.

“It’s not a gender row, it’s a sex row,” Martina Navratilova slams IOC as gender test failed boxer Imane Khelif wins gold at Paris Olympics

Martina Navratilova and Imane Khelif (Images via Imago)

American tennis legend Martina Navratilova is not one bit pleased with what transpired in the women’s boxing event at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday. As Algerian boxer Imane Khelif emerged as the champion amid gender controversy at the Summer Games, Navratilova once again expressed her frustration at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowing the Algerian to compete in the women’s category.

Navratilova claimed that this was a “travesty”. The former WTA ace posted about the result of the match wherein Khelif defeated China’s Yang Liu to clinch the gold medal in the welterweight final. Navratilova then went on a rant against the IOC, thanking them for “nothing”.

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Imane Khelif vs Yang Liu LIVE: Result as Algerian boxer wins Olympic gold amid gender row | The Independent- thanks for nothing IOC. Shame on you- this is a travesty. It’s not a gender row, BTW, it’s a SEX row.
Martina Navratilova posted on X criticizing the Olympics Committee.

Notably, Khelif’s Olympic campaign has proven highly controversial, with the Algerian having allegedly failed a gender eligibility test in 2023 due to the presence of XY chromosomes. However, the IOC played down all those claims and permitted Khelif to compete in the women’s category despite resistance from other athletes.

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Imane Khelif wins the gold medal despite resistance from all corners

Despite criticism and resistance from all corners, including Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, Imane Khelif competed in the women’s category and ended on the podium.

Imane Khelif wins gold to cap a Paris Olympics 2024 journey marked by online abuse
Imane Khelif wins gold at the Paris Olympics (Source: Open Source/X)

That test result led to Khelif’s disqualification from the World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA). However, the IOC stripped the IBA of authority before the Tokyo Olympics due to the governing body’s finances and ties to Russia, and due to fears of corruption. This meant that the athletes banned by the IBA were free to compete at the Summer Games.

Khelif leveraged this to her advantage and dodged the ban to win the gold medal in Paris. Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting will box for gold while part of the same gender row as Khelif. It is to be seen if Lin winning the gold medal further infuriates Navratilova or if the tennis legend will let it pass.

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