Every individual has the right to practice sports without facing discrimination.
All athletes competing in the boxing tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games adhere to the eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all relevant medical guidelines set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU). You can find all applicable rules here. These regulations are consistent with those used in previous Olympic boxing competitions, with athletes’ gender and age verified through their passports.
These rules were also enforced during the qualification period, which included boxing tournaments at the 2023 European Games, Asian Games, Pan American Games, Pacific Games, the ad hoc 2023 African qualifying tournament in Dakar, and two world qualifying tournaments held in Busto Arsizio, Italy, and Bangkok, Thailand in 2024. These events involved 1,471 different boxers from 172 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), the Boxing Refugee Team, and Individual Neutral Athletes, featuring over 2,000 qualification bouts.
The PBU based its regulations for Paris 2024 on the Tokyo 2020 boxing rules to minimize the impact on athletes’ preparations and ensure consistency between Olympic Games. The Tokyo 2020 rules were derived from the post-Rio 2016 rules, which were in place before the International Boxing Federation was suspended by the IOC in 2019 and had its recognition withdrawn in 2023.
There have been misleading reports about two female athletes competing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. These athletes have participated in international boxing competitions for many years in the women’s category, including the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships, and IBA-sanctioned tournaments.
In 2023, towards the end of the IBA World Championships, these athletes were disqualified without due process. According to IBA minutes available on their website, this decision was initially taken by the IBA Secretary General and CEO and later ratified by the IBA Board. The Board subsequently requested a procedure for handling similar cases in the future and stated the need for a clear procedure on gender testing.
The current controversy against these athletes stems from this arbitrary decision, taken without proper procedure, despite their history of competing at top levels. Such actions are contrary to good governance principles.
Eligibility rules should not be altered during ongoing competitions, and any rule changes must follow appropriate processes and be based on scientific evidence.
The IOC is committed to protecting the human rights of all athletes participating in the Olympic Games, in accordance with the Olympic Charter, the IOC Code of Ethics, and the IOC Strategic Framework on Human Rights. The IOC is disheartened by the abuse these two athletes are currently facing.
The IOC withdrew the IBA’s recognition in 2023 after its suspension in 2019. This decision was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). You can read the IOC’s statement following the ruling here.
The IOC has made it clear that National Boxing Federations need to reach a consensus around a new International Federation for boxing to be included in the sports program for the Olympic Games LA28.
