Caster Semenya slams Olympic chiefs as she breaks silence on boxing gender controversy

Caster Semenya has hit out at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over the boxing gender controversy that has overshadowed the Paris Olympics.

Algeria's Imane Khelif and Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting are guaranteed medals in their respective weight classes, but have found themselves at the centre of a row over their involvement after they were disqualified from the 2023 World Championships by for failing a gender eligibility test.

The tests were carried out by the International Boxing Association (IBA), but the IOC have raised doubts over the results and the IBA are no longer amateur boxing's governing body due to allegations of corruption and governance problems.

And two-time Olympic gold medallist Semenya, who has differences in sex development (DSD), has now weighed in on the controversy and criticised the IOC over their handling of the situation.

"Imane is a great boxer and people always criticise when someone is doing well, people always talk then," Semenya told SportsBoom.com. "When she wasn't winning, then everyone was quiet. But the IOC's policy and constitution should not contradict each other.

"Sport is for all people and the constitution says no to discrimination. But the minute they allowed women to be disgraced, it confuses us. If sport is for all, then why does the big governing body allow this sort of thing to happen? They should stand their ground and lead by example. It's about quality leadership that safeguards, protects, and respects women."

As a DSD athlete, Semenya naturally has elevated testosterone levels and she has been locked in legal battles with World Athletics since the organisation proposed introducing new rules that restrict testosterone levels in female athletes competing in certain track events.

Semenya felt the rules "targeted me specifically" and refused to take testosterone-suppressing medication. The South African has not made an Olympic appearance since the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro and believes the IOC should take control instead of allowing each sport's individual governing body to make their own rules.

"What happened at the Olympics now is not what happened in my space," she explained. "Each organisation has its own policy, boxing have their own and athletics has its own. It's not about what I want, but about principles of life.

"My views are not about me because I have ventured more into coaching now, I stopped running seriously in 2022. I have kids now and I want to spend more time at home."

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