Boxing is one of the most popular sports at the Olympics, and Paris 2024 is no exception. A total of 13 weight categories are contested, 8 for men and 5 for women, with medal fights crowning the Olympic champions this week.

Historically, Olympic boxing was only open to amateur fighters until the International Boxing Association (“IBA”), the former international governing body for amateur boxing in the Olympics, changed the rules ahead of Rio 2016 to open up the competition to professionals.

This decision drew controversy from some fans who questioned the sporting equity of professionals fighting against amateurs. On the whole, Olympic competitions are still dominated by amateurs and over the years have provided platforms for the launch of professional careers, including those of Anthony Joshua and Nicola Adams.

There are a variety of reasons why the competitions remain largely dominated by amateurs. One of which is that Olympic boxing competitions follow the amateur format of 3 times 3-minute rounds (compared to 10-12 rounds for the professional format) meaning that the game strategy for these fights is totally different. Equally, professional boxers would need to compete in the relevant qualifying tournaments to earn spots in the Olympics. This requires a level of commitment to the amateur format and amateur competition schedule for many months or years prior to the Olympics starting.

Boxing competitions at the Paris 2024 games have been overshadowed by press coverage of Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan and Imane Khelif of Algeria, who were previously disqualified from the Women’s World Championships in 2023 by the IBA. The disqualification was apparently due to failed eligibility tests although the details remain opaque as statements made this week by the IBA were confusing, and referred to both chromosome tests (which would indicate genetic sex testing) and testosterone tests (which are an indicator only of testosterone levels). The IOC disregarded the IBA’s tests and has referred to both the tests and the testing process as “not legitimate”.

The views expressed by the IOC are indicative of more widespread issues identified with the IBA culminating in the IOC withdrawing its recognition of the IBA in June 2023. A comprehensive IOC report explained that concerns regarding the IBA were investigated after Rio 2016, in particular in respect of refereeing and judging integrity, governance and financial transparency and stability (including its reliance on majority Russian state-owned energy firm Gazprom, which is currently subject to sanctions).

The IOC concluded that the IBA had breached the Olympic Charter and the IOC Code of Ethics, compliance with which are pre-requisites to IOC recognition. Ongoing concerns prompted an IOC Inquiry Committee investigation which in May 2019 found justification for IOC recognition being withdrawn. However, in the interests of the sport, the IBA was given time to remedy the issues outlined in a ‘roadmap’ and in the meantime the IOC took responsibility for organising boxing competitions at Tokyo 2020 (which took place in 2021 due to the pandemic).

The latest IOC report in June 2023 concluded that the IBA had failed to address the concerns, and accordingly the IBA’s recognition was withdrawn. The IOC has therefore again stepped in to organise boxing competitions in the Paris 2024 games and has confirmed that it will not do so again. At present, boxing does not appear on the schedule for LA 2028, and this will remain the case unless a new governing body gains IOC certification.

A new contender for international governing body, ‘World Boxing’, was established in 2023 with the apparent aim of taking the on the regulatory mantle. The organisation appears to have started the process of seeking IOC recognition and it remains to be seen whether this process will be completed in time for LA 2028.

In the meantime, the IBA appealed the IOC’s withdrawal of recognition to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (“CAS”), and the appeal was dismissed in April this year. The CAS Panel essentially agreed with the IOC’s position that the IBA had failed to comply with the requirements set down, and therefore withdrawal of recognition was justified. The IBA has appealed again, this time to the Swiss Federal Tribunal which is being asked to provide an opinion on whether the CAS decision was lawful.

For now, the future of Olympic boxing remains uncertain.

Regulation