Renowned author and women’s rights advocate JK Rowling has strongly criticized the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for allowing a biological male to compete in women’s boxing at the Paris Olympics. Angela Carini, a female boxer, conceded her bout against Imane Khelif, citing the latter’s overwhelming strength and powerful head punches.
Rowling, known for her outspoken views on women’s sports, shared video clips of the match on her social media platform, X. “Watch this (whole thread), then explain why you’re OK with a man beating a woman in public for your entertainment,” she challenged her followers. “This isn’t sport. From the bullying cheat in red all the way up to the organisers who allowed this to happen, this is men revelling in their power over women.”
The controversy centers on Khelif, who previously failed a sex test, revealing XY chromosomes, and was disqualified from the Delhi world championships last year. Despite this, the IOC allowed Khelif to compete in the Olympics, sparking outrage. Reports suggest Khelif might have a disorder of sex development (DSD), which complicates the issue further.
Rowling echoed the sentiments of Telegraph writer Suzanne Moore, stating, “Someone with a DSD cannot help the way they were born but they can choose not to cheat; they can choose not to take medals from women; they can choose not to cause injury.”
Rowling also supported athlete and activist Riley Gaines’s “#IStandWithAngelaCarini” campaign and criticized IOC Safe Sport Unit head Kirsty Burrows. “A young female boxer has just had everything she’s worked and trained for snatched away because you allowed a male to get in the ring with her,” Rowling wrote. “You’re a disgrace, your ‘safeguarding’ is a joke and #Paris24 will be forever tarnished by the brutal injustice done to Carini.”
British Olympic medalist Sharron Davies also spoke out against the unfairness of allowing Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, another chromosomally male athlete, to compete in women’s sports. “Testosterone levels are an utter red herring in all of this,” Davies stated, emphasizing the biological advantages these athletes have.
Carini, who sustained multiple head punches during the fight, expressed her fear and heartbreak, stating, “It’s not fair.” The controversy continues to fuel debates about the fairness and safety of allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports.
