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Lin and Khelif were banned last year by the International Boxing Association (IBA) who said the pair “failed to meet the eligibility criteria for participating in the women’s competition, as set and laid out in the IBA regulations”.
But the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which runs the boxing events at the Olympics, allowed them to compete, insisting Khelif and Lin were “born and raised as women”, and has strongly has criticised the IBA.
The IOC had previously suspended the Russia-led organisation over concerns around governance and regulation and has raised doubts about the tests.
The row erupted after Khelif’s first bout in which Italian Angela Carini abandoned after 46 seconds, saying afterwards she had to “preserve” her life.
As Lin and Khelif progressed with comfortable victories in the ring, a chaotic news conference held by the IBA last week did little to clear the confusion around their bans.
Chief executive Chris Roberts said the pair had “chromosome tests”, while president Umar Kremlev appeared to suggest the tests determined the fighters’ testosterone levels.
The IOC, which has run the boxing events at the Olympics since suspending the IBA, said competitors were eligible for the women’s division if their passports said they were female and has backed the pair throughout.
There has been apparent criticism from Lin and Khelif’s fellow competitors, however.
Like Kahraman, Bulgaria’s Svetlana Staneva made an ‘X’ gesture in the ring after defeat although Yang Liu, who Khelif beat on Friday night to secure her victory, raised the Algerian’s arm in celebration after the bell.
Lin and Szeremeta’s bout seemed to be fought in good spirits.
The Pole, a surprise silver medallist who continued her unusual technique of keeping her hands low but was picked off by two-time world champion Lin, made a heart shape with her hands in the direction of the crowd before leaving the ring.
Elsewhere on the final night, Uzbekistan won two more golds to take their total in boxing to five.
Bakhodir Jalolov successfully defended his super-heavyweight title by beating Spain’s Ayoub Ghadfa. Abdumalik Khalokov won the men’s featherweight title by beating Munarbek Seiitbek Uulu of Kazakhstan.
And China’s Li Qian beat Panama’s Atheyna Bylon to take the women’s middleweight crown.
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