Boxing row hits Paris Olympics

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com   

A sensitive row over gender eligibility in boxing rocked the Paris Olympics yesterday, threatening to distract from day one of the athletics as flamboyant American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson cruised through her 100m heat.

On the field of play, Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz stormed into the men’s tennis final and US swim legend Katie Ledecky launched her bid for a fourth straight Olympic 800m freestyle gold. But International Olympic Committee officials were peppered with questions about a boxing scandal that has spread far beyond Paris, with celebrities and world leaders weighing in on the issue.

Doubts have been raised over Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu Ting after the International Boxing Association (IBA) disqualified both last year for failing gender “eligibility tests.” Khelif’s brutal 46-second victory over Italy’s Angela Carini on Thursday reignited the row and Lin also won yesterday, meaning the row is likely to rumble on for some time.

The IOC has taken over the organisation of Olympic boxing, stripping the IBA after financial and ethical irregularities. The IBA said in a statement the athletes “did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognised test”. However the “specifics” of this test “remain confidential”, the IBA said.

Khelif fights next on Saturday with Lin boxing the day after. As the controversy refuses to go away, the likes of “Harry Potter” author J.K.Rowling and former US President Donald Trump have weighed in.

‘Great support’

At the Stade de France, the 24-year-old Richardson launched her campaign to become the first American woman since Gail Devers in 1996 to win Olympic 100m gold. She burst out of the blocks smoothly and was quickly into her stride before pulling away early on, easing down to cross the line in 10.94sec.

“To be at the Olympics is a phenomenal feeling,” Richardson told US broadcaster NBC after her impressive debut.

“To be an athlete here, competing with the energy, with a great appreciation for the track and field, it gives great support to be a track and field athlete,” she added.

In the hotly awaited men’s 1,500m, reigning Olympic gold medallist Jakob Ingebrigtsen and world champion Josh Kerr stayed on track to resume their rivalry, sailing into Sunday’s semi-finals.

‘Fine now’

In the pool, Ledecky beat her rival Ariarne Titmus from Australia in the heats during a morning session marred by Slovakia’s Tamara Potocka collapsing poolside.

Canadian prodigy Summer McIntosh cruised home in the 200m medley but Potocka, swimming in the same race, required medical attention and was carried out on a stretcher with an oxygen mask on. Her health “has improved significantly after oxygen therapy and... medication.

The swimmer is fine now,” the Slovak delegation told AFP. US swimmer Caeleb Dressel is hoping to double his gold medal haul when he goes in the 50m freestyle final later yesterday, after capturing gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay.

But all eyes will be on home favourite Leon Marchand, rapidly becoming the pin-up of the Games, who is swimming for his fourth gold medal in the 200m medley.

‘One match left’

On the iconic red clay of Roland Garros, Spain’s Alcaraz swept aside Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 6-1 in just 75 minutes, with rival Novak Djokovic potentially standing in his path to gold.

“It has been an objective since the start of the year to try and win the gold medal and now we have one match left to try and get it done,” said Alcaraz. But the 37-year-old Serb admitted before his own semi-final he was “concerned” about his right knee after aggravating an injury which required surgery in June.

Djokovic is desperate to add an Olympic gold to his 24 Grand Slam titles and this could be his last chance -- he will be 41 by the time of the 2028 Los Angeles Games. In an action-packed day in Paris, trampolinist Viyaleta Bardzilouskaya from Belarus won silver, the first medal by an athlete from Russia or Belarus, who are competing as neutrals.

And China won the first badminton gold when mixed doubles top seeds Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong thrashed their South Korean opponents in just 41 minutes. The Chinese currently sit top of the medal table with 13 golds, ahead of the United States, Britain and France on nine.