The Russian-led IBA, which was stripped of its status as amateur boxing’s governing body by the IOC in 2019 because of fears over its governance and regulation, called a news conference in Paris during which president Umar Kremlev and chief executive Chris Roberts were expected to shed new light on the disqualifications.
But after technical difficulties delayed the start of the news conference that ran for more than 100 minutes, Kremlev and Roberts gave contrasting and often contradictory accounts about the disqualifications.
Roberts said the pair had “chromosome tests” but Kremlev appeared to suggest the tests were to determine the fighters’ testosterone levels.
The IBA said the tests were sent to two different laboratories that are accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).
However, Wada has told BBC Sport it does not oversee gender tests and its work only relates to anti-doping matters.
It is the stupidest hill to die on, even by their standards. If they claim that what is written in a birth certificate is law in determining your gender, now they are torpedoing that axiom and ending up both as the anti-tradition and inhuman ones. Indefensible.