Bulgarian Olympic Committee insists on strict adherence to gender equality at the Olympic Games

The Bulgarian Olympic Committee (BOC) plans to file an official complaint as regards the case of the boxers permitted to fight at the Olympics despite that they were disqualified from the women’s world championships last year for failing gender eligibility tests.

BOC explained that it disagreed with the participation of the athletes in question.

According to Prof. Dr. Roald Bahr, Chair of IOC Medical Commission-Games Group of the Paris 2024 Group Olympics, the BOC's complaint will not be upheld, but if it is still insisted upon, it should be addressed to the IOC, something BOC intends to do.

BOC statement:

"BOC has once again emphasised the importance of strict adherence to gender equality at the Olympic Games. The reason for our concern is the participation in the women's boxing tournament at the Paris Games of Imane Khelif from Algeria in the 66 kg category and Lin Yu-Ting from Chinese Taipei in the 57 kg category, who previously failed gender eligibility tests and were barred from participating in global women's boxing tournaments, yet now, inexplicably, they are included in the women's program at the Olympic Games in Paris," BOC said.

BOC Secretary General Belcho Goranov and Head Team Physician of the Olympic delegation Stefan Strugarov, on July 27, met with the Chair of the IOC Medical Commission-Games Group of the Paris 2024 Group Olympics, Roald Bahr. The meeting was also attended by Jane Thornton, who has been appointed as the new IOC Scientific and Medical Director.

Bahr explained that the two athletes have been admitted to the Paris Games, adhering to all rules and meeting all criteria, and the IOC does not practice and will not conduct gender tests when it is stated in the passports that they are female. BOC plans to file an official complaint, to which Bahr responded that such a complaint would not be honoured, but if pursued, it should be addressed to the IOC. This is something that BOC intends to do.

At the meeting, BOC reiterated its disagreement with the participation of the two athletes in question in the women's Olympic tournament at the Paris Games and expressed concerns about possible negative consequences if no action is taken.

We are firmly committed to defending the rights not only of the Bulgarian athletes, but of all athletes who may be potentially disadvantaged by the participation of representatives of the opposite sex in the women's competitions.

We also express our concern for the health of female athletes, as it has been scientifically proven that men's strikes are much stronger than those of women and can lead to severe injuries and permanent trauma, BOC said.

"The Bulgarian Olympic Committee hopes this statement will lead to a response from those responsible for organising and conducting the boxing tournament at the Olympic Games in Paris," BOC statement said.

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Imane Khelif advanced to the quarterfinals in the 66kg category of women's boxing on Thursday, August 1, after her opponent, Angela Carini withdrew just 46 seconds into the fight.

Carini said she had pulled out after being hit harder than she had ever been hit. “I was told a lot of times that I was a warrior but I preferred to stop for my health. I have never felt a punch like this,” she said.

“I got into the ring to fight. I didn’t give up, but one punch hurt too much and so I said enough."

“After the second punch, after years of experience, I felt a strong pain in the nose. I said enough, because I didn’t want. I couldn’t finish the fight after the punch to the nose. So it was better to put an end to it," Carini said.