Category: Olympics

Imane Khelif accused the International Boxing Association (IBA) of making “false and offensive” allegations against her, while the fallout from her saga of the Olympic Games continue.

During the 2024 matches in Paris, Khelif won the Welter weight boxing gold, but the Algerian victory was overshadowed by a gender row. The IBA, which previously directed Olympic boxing but was abandoned before the 2020 Games, said Khelif had failed an eligibility test between the sexes at the 2022 world championships.

While Khelif was born and grew up as a woman and has never identified itself as transgender or intersex, the International Olympic Committee (CIO) faces a judicial challenge of the IBA, which says that it was provoked By an executive decree of American president Donald Trump.

The IBA cited on Monday the “interviews of Trump men outside female sports”, while calling Lin Yu -Ting from Khelif and Taiwan – which also won gold in Paris – “ineligible athletes”. Now Khelif, 25, responded to IBA with an Instagram statement.

She wrote: “For two years, I took the high road while my name and my image were used, unauthorized, to other personal and political programs by the propagation and the dissemination of lies and disinformation without foundation. But silence is no longer an option.

“The IBA, an organization with which I am no longer associated and which is no longer recognized by the IOC, has again made basic accusations which are false and offensive, using them to advance their program. This is a question that concerns not only me, but the broader principles of equity and the regular procedure in sport.

“My team carefully examines the situation and will take all the legal measures necessary to ensure that my rights and the principles of fair competition are confirmed. The managers of these actions must be held responsible and we will continue all the legal means to ensure that justice prevails. »»

IBA was abandoned by the IOC due to concerns relating to finance and links of the organization with Russia, and due to fears of corruption. As such, the IOC ran Olympic in 2020 and set up the Paris boxing unit to do so last summer.

Tuesday, a IOC spokesman said The independent: “This IBA declaration is only another example of [the] The IBA campaign against the IOC, which has been underway since their recognition has been withdrawn by the IOC for questions related to governance, judgment and arbitration – as well as questions concerning their finances.

“Here are the facts: the two female athletes mentioned by [the] IBAs are not transgender athletes. They were born as women, were raised as women and participated in the female category for all their boxing careers, including in previous international competitions such as the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, when the two have not won a medal. They also participated in the IBA World World Championships and tournaments sanctioned by IBA before becoming victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision of IBA. Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were disqualified, without any regular procedure.

“None of the athletes had a perfect track in Paris. Lin Yu-Ting, for example, lost its latest fight before arriving in Paris. None of the athletes deserved the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where Imane Khelif was beaten in the quarterfinals by unanimous decision. Lin Yu-Ting lost his first fight in the round of 16.

“In their career, Yu-Ting has won only one of the 40 fights by RSC (3%) and Khelif won five of the 37 (14%). In comparison, other successful boxers arrived in Paris after winning up to 28% of their career fights and 33% of their most recent fights by RSC. These data are relevant when evaluating the question of whether Yu-Ting and Khelif had an increased performance advantage and / or a security risk compared to other successful boxers in the women’s category. »»

“I thought of my baby, that I want my baby to be Olympian.”

It was the additional motivation of which Egyptian shooter Nada Hafez needed when she went to the track in Paris 2024.

Only a few selected knew that she was in competition when she was seven months pregnant until she reveals the news on social networks after her release from the last 16 people from her event.

He made headlines from around the world.

The Tourbillon reaction was as if Hafez had known before.

“I was just published on my personal account – proud, saying that I am in the top 16 of the world during pregnancy,” said Hafez at BBC Sport Africa.

“I did not expect it to become viral. I did not know what was going on.”

The 27 -year -old man says that the majority of responses to his message were positive.

“When the post increased and I was an inspiration for everyone, it was a great thing for me.”

Hafez, who is a clinical pathologist, says that she had received authorization from doctors at game fences and wanted to show the world what a woman’s body can do.

“It was a really important message for me – an Egyptian Arab woman – to tell all women that your body can surprise you,” she said.

“Sometimes you have to see an example in front of you to know that you can do it.

“Because maybe a pregnant woman, she is afraid of doing anything, and now she says to herself:” There is a woman who participates in the Olympic Games during pregnancy. So I can do all “.”

But not everyone has so favorable to Hafez revealing that she closed in the individual saber of women at the big palace while wearing a baby.

A day later, Hafez published another Instagram publication to emphasize that she was not the first pregnant woman to appear at Olympic Games and that she had wanted to “shed light on strength, perseverance and restraint “Egyptian women.

This force became in the foreground during online negativity.

“Some people don’t want you to succeed,” she said.

“It’s easy to comment and run. You did not face me.

“I wanted to specify that I am a doctor and that that (in competition during pregnancy) is something that is against no medical problems.

“Some people said that I should have given someone else’s place. But it was not an option because I qualified myself.

“My mother said to me” don’t be sad if you read anything “- but I’m proud of what I did. I did something and it was very difficult.”

Fencing being a combat sport using swords, could it have caused negative comments?

“For me, fencing is not as it looks – she has this feeling of contact. My doctor assured me that it was not dangerous.”

Erased by doctors to follow the dream of Paris fencing

Hafez Cairo based,, Who continued his passion for fencing by studying for her medicine diploma, became an Egyptian saber champion and went to the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 games.

So, being qualified for Paris 2024, she considered to retire when she discovered that she was pregnant?

“Yes, of course. I knew I was pregnant a week before a World Cup [event]And I said: “Okay, I don’t risk it because this is my first pregnancy”, “she said.

“I didn’t know what I would feel.

“I was waiting for my husband [a cardiothoracic surgeon] To tell me to stop and rest. But he said to me, “We are going to the doctor. Whatever he says, we will do.

“And the doctor said,” You don’t have a disease. You are just pregnant. If you are well and everything is normal, you can do what you want. “”

With this insurance, Hafez felt ready to resume training.

Aware of the spotlights falling on her nation if the news came, she kept her as silent as she could.

“I did not have to say it to anyone, because it is not against the Olympic regulations,” she said.

“I just said to people who needed to know. The most important thing was not to go against laws or health problems.

“I did not know if I would, so I did it step by step until I reach the Olympic Games.”

The National Olympic Committee of Egypt told BBC Sport Africa that he had no rule prohibiting pregnant women from training or participating.

“But it must be a safe environment and we must make sure that there is no risk,” said a manager.

Stimulated in Paris by its “Olympic baby”

Now a four -month -old baby mother Zaina, Hafez can think about the role that her daughter played in her achievements in Paris.

“I worked with my mental coach. I wanted to do something different for my baby,” she said.

“I tried not to think that I have my excuse not to win. I thought differently:” I am pregnant and I will win “, and I did it.”

Hafez continued to upset the seventh seeded, Elizabeth Tartakovsky, 15-13.

“This is one of the best results for Egyptian Olympian women,” added Hafez.

“I cried with happiness. This is something that my baby is proud of.”

She then lost 15-7 against Jeon Hayoung from South Korea in the last 16.

None of his opponents knew that Hafez was waiting.

“It’s unfair if someone knows it. Maybe he would be afraid of putting contact or something, so no need to say.”

To be a “put my heart on fire” model

Hafez, who studies for a master’s degree alongside being a new mother, aims to use her platform to defend women’s rights in sport.

She has not yet decided if she wanted to try to qualify for Los Angeles 2028.

For the moment, she always treats what she has achieved in Paris.

“The young girls said to me,” You have inspired us so much. We want to go to the medical school and continue in sport “”, she said.

“And it made me the happiest.

“Whenever I receive a message from anyone tells me that I am a model, it sets fire to my heart – because that’s what I work all my life.

“I’m still young. I live to do more and to be a good example as a mom.

“I hope my daughter will one day be Olympian. She is an Olympian baby – and maybe she will be an adult Olympian.”

Sarah Hildebrandt retires after winning Olympic Gold in Paris to become a deputy coach of the national wrestling team in the United States.

“Much of this (the decision) was, obviously, I had a very long career, and I was able to discover what the struggle gave and taught me,” Hildebrandt said. “It really made me so passionate about what this sport can do for people. … If I can just bring a passion and support energy to help someone in their trip, a bit like a handful of Door to open their own adventure, it’s exciting for me.

In Paris, Hildebrandt became the fourth American woman to win Olympic wrestling gold, one day after her teammate Amit Elor became the third.

Hildebrandt thought of retiring after Paris before and after the matches. But she also thought that way in Tokyo Games.

After her Olympic gold, she wrote each time she had the feeling of wanting to go back to competition and each time she had the feeling of not wanting to come back.

“I really felt nervous and, I don’t know, right next to myself,” she said. “I felt this call to want to do something not only for me.

“I’m sure there will be times when I am, oh, I’m ready to put my singlet, but I will have these feelings the rest of my life.”

Helen Maroulis (Rio 2016) and Tamyra Mensah-Stock (Tokyo 2020) previously won Olympic titles.

Hildebrandt, 31, also won the Olympic bronze in Tokyo, plus four silver or bronze medals of the world championships.

“It’s not just what she did; This is how she did it, “said the coach of the national team Terry Steiner in a press release.” She went through everything. He was a child who could not have the national team and fought. She was part of the world team and fought. She injured herself. It was then that she did things, took a break and changed. Due to his experiences, there is not a person in our national team and around our program that does not respect them. Respect does not only concern its accomplishment in Paris; This is how she reinvented herself to become a great champion and a great human being. She will become an excellent coach. “”

The NCAA adds the female struggle as a championship sport

The female struggle, which made its debut at the Olympic Games in 2004, will be the 91st Championship Sport.

One afternoon when Keely Hodgkinson had planned to claim a world record, the Queen of Athletics of Great Britain may have discovered something more precious.

The sorrow of his shock injury this week, knowing a daring race to eliminate the longtime brand of Jolanda Ceplak by 1m 55.82 seconds, had calmed somewhat while hundreds of young adorant girls proved to offer submerged support to their idol at the inaugural Klassic.

This tear of the hamstrings is a blow, in particular in the short term, refusing to the gold medalist in Paris a shot to another crown at the world indoor championships in Nanjing, China, next month. But the 22 -year -old woman remains optimistic.

So, without Hodgkinson, the attention turned to Georgia Hunter Bell on the track, and she flirted with the British record of 1,500 m, only to fall six tenths of the second short, but still producing an impressive race to win in 4 minutes 0.63 seconds.

“It looked like a truly fun atmosphere,” said Hunter Bell, with the European championships and the indoor world next to her schedule as she asks to support her bronze medal in Paris. “When we got out, everyone was dancing, so it was a little different from the usual meeting.”

Join the Olympic bronze medalist like the biggest attractions without Hodgkinson was the Olympian Neil Gourley, who broke the British room record of 1000m in 2 minutes 16.74 seconds to compete for a race for Europe and , while waiting for an all-powerful inner battle in one of the deepest events, the indoor world championships too.

“There are a lot of children here, I fell before and I did a lot of signing autographs, and I felt bad because I was not running,” Hodgkinson pointed out during the success assessment of its event. “Many of them told me that they were not athletics but are there, which is quite nice.

“The gold medal allowed me to play events like this and bring a new generation to sport to take advantage of looking at it. More or less, I think that I like to do my best and everything that comes from it comes from that. It’s so incredible to hear the stories of little girls and boys who watched me play in Paris, that’s what really inspires me. »»

His satisfaction occurs a few days after Michael Johnson criticized the format of the event after the unhappy injury removed her star attraction. “The current sport structure does not work,” said the quadruple Olympic champion, a few weeks before his own business to reshape the sport with the Grand Slam track in the American series. “You cannot build around a star. It is not convincing. Competition is. And it’s too big risk and the broadcasters know it. »»

He could have a point on the broadcast, with the disappointing BBC move to snub the event during a week of fallow of six nations.

But Hodgkinson inspired a new fans base and this event has attracted a rare crowd, certainly not with full capacity, but mainly filled with children, a difficult feat in professional sport with the temptation to neglect sport for other interests .

Positioned at the heart of the arena, in the four of the 60 m track, was held a gold and red throne. While waiting for potential record breakers, like Lina Nielsen, who joyfully jumped in front of a worshiped crowd after having broken the 300m British record with a 36.53 seconds.

There was no world record here, barely 12 hours after the superb 5,000 m of Grant Fisher (12 minutes 44.09 seconds) added to a revolutionary season in the world. But it was an entirely different atmosphere and demography: fans seemed less embarrassed by breathtaking divisions and more forced to get out of their seats and dance on the different successes played by the DJ Tony Perry.

You have also been struck by the hundreds of young girls present, obviously inspired by what Hodgkinson has done for British athletics.

“It was a killing with Keely injuring her hamstrings, who was always going to have an impact on the media threshing behind this, she was obviously the star attraction, for obvious reasons,” said Goulery. “It was a shame. But it seems that people have taken it again, we still have enough talent in this country, like Georgia [Hunter Bell]So that this thing stands alone. We need a date on the circuit of this country, we really do it, whatever the form or the form. »»

Hodgkinson is now faced with his most difficult test to date on the road to Tokyo, his injury offering a new challenge after reaching the size last year.

“I find that [overcoming an injury] Really motivating to be honest and I like a good challenge, ”concluded Hodgkinson. “It gives me motivation.

“Probably now returning from the injury and also by mixing this pressure from being the reigning Olympic champion, it’s a new experience for all of us in the team. But we seek to take it.