パリ五輪ボクサー性別騒動、トランプ氏らも参戦

【パリＡＦＰ＝時事】パリ五輪ボクシング女子６６キロ級の２回戦で、昨年の性別適格性検査で不合格となっていたとして議論を呼んでいるアルジェリアのイマン・ヘリフ選手が開始わずか４６秒で勝利したのを受け、女子競技の参加資格をめぐる論争が激化し、世界中の著名人も加わっている。（写真はパリ五輪、ボクシング女子６６キロ級２回戦。試合を後にするアルジェリアのイマン・ヘリフ選手〈左〉とイタリアのアンジェラ・カリニ選手）
　対戦相手だったアンジェラ・カリニ選手の祖国、イタリアのジョルジャ・メローニ首相は試合直後、「公平な試合ではなかった」と指摘。「国際オリンピック委員会（ＩＯＣ）には同意できない」「男性の遺伝的特徴を持つ選手は女子競技に参加すべきではない」と主張した。
　米国のドナルド・トランプ前大統領は自身のＳＮＳ「トゥルース・ソーシャル」への投稿で、「私は女子スポーツから男性を排除する！」と宣言した。
　また、ファンタジー小説「ハリー・ポッター」シリーズで知られる英作家Ｊ・Ｋ・ローリングさんはＸ（旧ツイッター）への投稿で、「パリ五輪はカリニ選手に対する残酷な不正によって永遠の汚点となるだろう」「若い女性ボクサーの対戦相手として男性がリングに上がることが許されたがために、彼女は努力し鍛錬してきたものすべてを奪われた」と批判した。
　テニス界のレジェンド、マルチナ・ナブラチロワさんもＳＮＳで「嘆かわしい」状況だと表現し、ヘリフ選手は「生物学的に男性」だと主張した。
　さらに国連のリーム・アルサレム特別報告者（女性と少女に対する暴力担当）は、カリニ選手や「他の女性アスリートは、性別に基づくこのような身体的・精神的暴力にさらされるべきではなかった」とＸに投稿した。
　一方、アルジェリアオリンピック委員会（ＣＯＡ）は、「われわれの優れたアスリートであるイマン・ヘリフに対する、特定の外国メディアによる悪意ある非倫理的な攻撃だ」と反発。「完全に不当」な「うそ」だと訴えている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/08/02-17:02）

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif's 46-second win at the Paris Olympics on Thursday sparked a furious row about gender eligibility rules, with public figures from around the world weighing in on the controversy.
Italian boxer Angela Carini retired hurt and shrugged off attempts by Khelif to shake her hand, before collapsing to her knees and sobbing uncontrollably in the middle of the ring.
Khelif advanced to the quarter-finals of the women's 66kg category after unloading two strong punches to the face of Carini, who had blood on her shorts and was unable to carry on because of a badly hurt nose.
My nose started dripping (with blood) from the first hit, said the distressed Carini, who also broke down in tears when talking to reporters.
The 25-year-old sobbed: I fought very often in the national team. I train with my brother. I've always fought against men, but I felt too much pain today.
Khelif and Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, who fights on Friday at 57kg, were disqualified from the 2023 world championships in New Delhi run by the International Boxing Association (IBA) but deemed eligible to box in the women's competition in Paris.
Both boxers also competed at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.
The IBA, in a statement on Wednesday, said Lin and Khelif were disqualified from the world championships as a result of their failure to meet the eligibility criteria for participating in the women's competition.
The athletes did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognised test, whereby the specifics remain confidential, it added.
The International Olympic Committee is running the boxing in the French capital because of governance, financial and ethical issues at the IBA.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams told reporters this week that they are women in their passports and it's stated in there that they are female.
The IOC reiterated the same line as the furore raged following the easy win for Khelif, who will return to the ring on Saturday.
The IOC accused the IBA of making an arbitrary decision, adding: The current aggression against these two athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision.
But the one-sided bout sparked an immediate reaction from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who said the fight was not on an equal footing and she did not agree with the IOC's policy.
I think that athletes who have male genetic characteristics should not be admitted to women's competitions, she said during a meeting with Italian athletes in Paris.
- 'Forever tarnished' -
Donald Trump declared on his Truth Social network: I WILL KEEP MEN OUT OF WOMEN'S SPORTS!
Harry Potter author JK Rowling said on X that the Paris Games would be forever tarnished by the brutal injustice done to Carini.
The writer has incurred the wrath of activists in recent years over her stance that biological sex is immutable, often in relation to the transgender debate.
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, she said.
Also on social media, tennis great Martina Navratilova described the situation as deplorable, alleging that Khelif was a biological man.
Reem Alsalem, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, wrote on X that Carini and other female athletes should not have been exposed to this physical and psychological violence based on their sex.
- 'Lies' -
Khelif was given a huge roar when she came into the North Paris Arena, partly from members of the large Algerian diaspora in the French capital.
Before and during the brief bout they chanted her name, but the action itself was over in a flash.
Khelif stopped only briefly to talk to reporters afterwards, saying: It's always satisfying to win in such an important competition, but I remain focused on my goal of a medal.
Algeria and Taiwan sprang to the defence of their boxers.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te gave the 28-year-old Lin his public backing, saying on Facebook we should stand united and cheer for her.
Algeria's Olympic Committee (COA) condemned what it called malicious and unethical attacks directed against our distinguished athlete, Imane Khelif, by certain foreign media.
The COA hit out at lies that were completely unfair.