Russian fake news led to gender row: Bach

A gender row involving two female boxers at the Paris 2024 Olympics was the result of a Russian fake news campaign and had little to do with reality, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach said on March 15.

- 

PYLOS -

Bach, who is stepping down in June after 12 years in charge, said the IOC had needed to fight off many similar campaigns before and after the Paris Games.

The boxing competition at the Paris Games was run by the IOC after it stripped the International Boxing Association (IBA) of recognition in 2023 over its failure to implement reforms on governance and finance.

But the IBA, run by Russian businessman Umar Kremlev, who has close links to the Kremlin, accused the IOC during Paris of allowing two female athletes, who had been banned by the IBA following a chromosome test a year earlier, to compete.

A bitter war of words ensued between the two organisations and hogged the headlines during the Games.