IOC States Russia Behind Olympics Controversy Involving Algerian Boxer Imane Khelif

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has accused Russia of orchestrating the scandal involving Algerian boxer Imane Khelif at the 2024 Olympics.

The IOC came out with allegations that Russia is using the IBA, headed by Umar Kremlov, a friend of the head of the Security Service of the President of Russia, to interfere in the Olympic boxing tournament and incite hostility.

On August 6, IBA held a press conference where they referred to the two female boxers, Iman Khelif from Algeria and Lin Yuying from Taiwan, as men. The IBA’s general secretary, Chris Roberts, refused to disclose any medical details about the athletes.

The IOC has dismissed the IBA’s gender tests as illegitimate, emphasizing that both boxers were born and competed as women. IOC President Thomas Bach described the scandal as a “politically motivated culture war” aimed at drawing attention to Russia.

At the 2024 Olympics tournament in Paris, after Khelif was declared the winner over Angela Carini, Carini dropped to her knees in tears. Later, the 25-year-old told reporters she had never experienced such hard punches in her career.

In the aftermath, the event sparked widespread controversy, with allegations that Imane Khelif was male or transgender, spreading rapidly across news and social media, including high-profile figures like Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and US presidential candidate Donald Trump weighing in.

However, the allegations were quickly debunked online, and the disinformation was soon traced back to Russian sources.

The IOC has previously expressed concerns about the IBA’s ties to the Russian government and stripped the association of the right to hold the Olympic boxing tournament in 2019.

“This case [with criticism of the participation of female athletes from Algeria and Taiwan in the Olympics] fits into the rhetoric [of Russia], which is designed to sow chaos,” according to IOC representative Christian Clavier.

This incident is just one example in a long string of aggressive Russian disinformation campaigns designed to disrupt societies and sow discord.

Similar tactics have been observed in various instances, including the ongoing UK riots, where false narratives and misleading information were spread by Russia to inflame tensions and exacerbate unrest.