Latest news with #womenboxing
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
JK Rowling leads calls to take away Imane Khelif's Olympic gold medal - after leaked medical report 'proves she is a biological male'
JK Rowling has called the alleged results showing that Olympic champion Imane Khelif is a biological male 'a win for women'. The results of a medical test on Khelif at the 2023 World Championships have come less than two days after World Boxing ruled that Khelif would need to undergo sex screening to be eligible for any future appearances in female events. Khelif won a women's boxing gold medal representing Algeria boxing at the Paris Games. Khelif was deemed eligible to compete in France despite World Boxing having known about the 2023 more than a year's previous knowledge about the test, with IOC president Thomas Bach previously questioning the test's legitimacy. 'Chromosome analysis reveals male karyotype,' the document, seen by 3 Wire Sports via Telegraph Sport, states. Rowling, who has weighed in heavy on the debate in the past, has taken to social media to give her view on the news. JK Rowling, who has been vocal on Khelif's situation in the past, has called it a 'win for women' 'It's a win for women because they won't be battered to death in the ring by men,' wrote the Harry Potter series author. 'If you had any idea what physical tests women go through routinely in their lives you'd know a cheek swab is no bigger deal than flossing your teeth. Any more moronic questions, wing them over.' Broadcaster Piers Morgan was among the first to respond to reports of the test, writing on social media site X: 'The biology-denying woke brigade abused and shamed me for saying it was outrageous and dangerous for Khelif to be beating up women at the Olympics. 'I'm ready for their apology, but won't hold my breath.' Former Olympian Sharron Davies was similarly convinced by the report, writing: 'When did we stop believing in our eyes & gut! Oh yeah when we decided women's sport didn't matter…' Conservative activist Riley Gaines also weighed in, referring to Khelif with male pronouns and saying: 'To all the people that insisted Imane Khelif was a woman because his passport said so, 'You were wrong. We were right. Sincerely, People with functioning eyes and a shred of honesty.' The results reportedly have a date of being collected of March 17, 2023 - the same year that Khelif was disqualified by the International Boxing Association (IBA), the former governing body for the sport for 'failing gender eligibility tests'. It's a win for women because they won't be battered to death in the ring by men. If you had any idea what physical tests women go through routinely in their lives you'd know a cheek swab is no bigger deal than flossing your teeth. Any more moronic questions, wing them over. — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 2, 2025 The document claims to have come from Dr Lal PathLabs in New Delhi, a laboratory which is accredited by the American College of Pathologists and certified by the International Organisation for Standardisation. The report was initially published by the journalist Alan Abrahamson, who first brought reports of Khelif's alleged failed gender eligibility test to public attention at the Paris Games. Mail Sport has contacted Khelif's representatives for comment. Khelief has previously stated that she planned to defend her gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics in three years time. World Boxing does have some Olympic authority, as they have been announced to provisionally run testing for the Los Angeles games, with any person over 18 required to undergo PCR testing to determine their sex. The governing body said the PCR test is a laboratory technique used to detect specific genetic material, with the SRY gene revealing the presence of the Y chromosome, which is an indicator of biological sex. The test can be conducted by nasal/mouth swab, saliva or blood. The governing body said the testing will be part of a new policy on 'Sex, Age and Weight', which it claims will ensure a safe and competitive playing field. World Boxing revealed the contents of a letter sent to the Algerian Boxing Federation, confirming Khelif is unable to compete in the female category at the Eindhoven Box Cup or any World Boxing event until she undergoes sex testing. 'Imane Khelif may not participate in the female category at the Eindhoven Box Cup, 5-10 June 2025 and any World Boxing event until Imane Khelif undergoes genetic sex screening in accordance with World Boxing's rules and testing procedures,' the letter read. 'In accordance with the World Boxing Statutes, amendments to the Competition Rules are typically made by Congress. However, under special or emergency circumstances, the World Boxing Executive Board holds the authority to make immediate amendments when a rule is deemed no longer functional or when evolving conditions necessitate a change. 'In May 2025, the Executive Board exercised this authority and adopted new eligibility criteria for participation in sex-specific boxing categories. These new eligibility rules were developed with the express purpose of safeguarding athletes in combat sports, particularly given the physical risks associated with Olympic-style boxing. 'Please be advised that, per World Boxing policy, '…in the event the athlete's sex certification is challenged by the athlete's federation or by World Boxing, the athlete shall be ineligible to compete until the dispute is resolved…' Khelif was not the only controversial boxer in Paris, as Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting also won a gold medal in women's boxing despite having been banned by the IBA in 2023. Morgan previously weighed in on Khelif's alleged gender ineligibility in November, when a 'leaked' report published in German outlet Bild claimed that she was a 'biological male'. He posted to his 8.8m followers at the time: 'Confirmation of what some of us said at the time: Khelif is a biological man. The gold medal should now be stripped and awarded to the best actual woman.' It remains unclear whether the report was legitimate, with Algerian Olympic Committee calling out 'unsubstantiated allegations (which aimed) to tarnish the image of an athlete who has brought honor to our nation on the international stage.' Piers Morgan, Sharron Davies, and Riley Gaines were all quick to weigh in on the alleged results The report was initially put together in 2023 via collaboration between French and Algerian expert endocrinologists working at the Kremlin-Bicetre hospital in Paris, and the Mohamed Lamine Debaghine hospital in Algiers. The unverified report alleges that Khelif has male characteristics. But Jacques Young, an endocrinologist at Bicetre Hospital in Paris who reportedly co-authored the document, has told DW in Germany that he feels his name is being used to spread false information. Young also hinted he had been used to disseminate an anti-trans agenda. 'I think your statement perfectly reflects reality,' when he was asked whether his name was being used for those purposes.
The Sun
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
‘Horrendous' – Moment boxer Terri Harper clashes heads with Natalie Zimmerman to leaves her with horror ‘blood mask'
NATALIE ZIMMERMANN was left with a horrific gash on her head after her world title fight with Teri Harper. The German challenged the Doncaster destroyer for the WBO women's lightweight title at the Keepmoat Stadium on Friday night. 6 6 6 6 Zimmermann turned in a spirited display but was outclassed for 10 straight rounds on her way to suffering a unanimous decision defeat. And the 42-year-old suffered a horrendous cut in the final round thanks to a nasty clash of heads. The deep cut was just above Zimmermann's right eye and leaked enough to prompt the referee to call a timeout. But the ringside doctor deemed the cut not worthy of a TKO stoppage and allowed Zimmermann to see out the last minute and fifteen seconds of the round. Commentator Adam Smith said of the cut: "Oh it's horrendous. "A bloody mask as Terri Harper continues to throw quality shots. "And Zimmermann, how is she still standing? Zimmermann was unable to land the Hail Mary punch she needed to end Harper's reign as WBO queen, with all three judges turning 99-91 scorecards. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 6 The win on home soil stretched three-weight world champ Harper's record to 16 wins, two defeats and two draws. And the 28-year-old has set her sights on a domestic dust-up with her WBC counterpart, Caroline Dubois. She said of a showdown with Dubois: "Yes. 100 per cent, that gets my fire burning. "I said in the press conference she rubs me the wrong way. "I think it makes a cracking fight and it makes sense. "This was a very special night for me, very special training camp. "Massive thanks to my opponent for putting on a great show in my hometown. "She's tough. She started strong, I thought I needed to stay switched on. 6 "Once I let the nerves settle and the occasion settle, I found my way in the fight. "It's given me memories I will treasure for a lifetime. "Not just in my boxing career, but as a person away from the sport. "I don't know what's next. "For me, I want to go on to fight the other champions of the division and really step up. "I'm going to take some time off and see what happens, see if any contracts get sent over, get back to my team and work out a plan."
CBS News
07-05-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Michigan's Claressa Shields facing New Zealand's Lani Daniels at Little Caesars Arena
Special elections in some communities today; house explosion under investigation; more top stories Special elections in some communities today; house explosion under investigation; more top stories Special elections in some communities today; house explosion under investigation; more top stories Claressa Shields is giving Lani Daniels a shot at winning her belts. Shields, the first undisputed heavyweight champion in women's boxing, announced on social media Wednesday that she is facing Daniels on July 26 at Little Caesars Arena. The 30-year-old Shields improved to 16-0 by unanimously outpointing Danielle Perkins three months ago in her hometown of Flint, Michigan. The 36-year-old Daniels of New Zealand has the IBF light heavyweight title. She has won seven straight matches and is 11-2-2 with one knockout. Shields, a two-time Olympic champion, has revived the Motor City's place in boxing. The city has a rich history in the sport that includes Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson and Thomas Hearns. The home of the Red Wings and Pistons opened in 2017, but the arena didn't have a boxing card until nearly two years ago when Shields was the headliner and beat Maricela Cornejo. Shields was back at Little Caesars Arena last summer, knocking out WBC heavyweight champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse in front of about 12,000 fans and will likely be a big draw for a third time in July. "Women's boxing has grown by leaps and bounds since Claressa Shields headlined the very first women's main event on a nationally televised card," Shields' promoter, Dmitriy Salita, said Wednesday.
