Sports presenter Laura Woods has said she received death threats after she commented on the gender row involving Olympic boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting.
Earlier this week Woods supported an article which questioned the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to allow Khelif and Yu-ting, who both won gold in their events, to compete.
The article claimed allowing Khelif and Yu-ting to compete was not “fair” and placed women in “unnecessary danger”.
In response, the TNT Sports and ITV presenter said she received a slew of abuse online, including death threats against herself and her unborn baby.
On Thursday, Woods said: “Since I replied to this article, I’ve had numerous death threats to myself and my unborn child.”
She said there had been “calls for my employers to sack me, threats to my home” as well as explicit abuse.
“I’ve been called a racist, a bigot and a sexist as well as various insults – c***, sl*g etc,” she said.
Image: Gold medallist Imane Khelif. Pic: Reuters
Image: TNT Sports presenter Laura Woods. Pic: PA
Khelif won gold in the women’s welterweight event at the Paris Olympics, but found herself at the centre of a toxic debate after her first opponent bowed out within 46 seconds, claiming she had “never been hit so hard”.
Italian boxer Angela Carini later apologised for her conduct after their bout, and said she respected Khelif’s inclusion.
But this came after increased scrutiny toward Khelif, including world leaders and celebrities who questioned her eligibility.
Algerian boxer Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Yu-ting were banned from the world championships last year, with the International Boxing Association (IBA) saying they failed gender eligibility tests.
However, the IOC said the decision was “sudden and arbitrary” and the tests were majorly flawed.
It banned the IBA over governance issues, alleged corruption and ties to Russia.
Woods referenced these “test results” in her post on social media.
“When there are discrepancies with test results – which could impact the safety of another human being, in an environment that above all else should be fair – questions are quite rightly going to be asked. The answers are still unclear, otherwise this topic would be closed,” she said.
IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said all the boxers in Paris met eligibility criteria – with gender and age “based on their passport”.
He said Khelif and Yu-ting had been competing in women’s competition for many years and the Algerian also appeared at the Tokyo games.
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Speaking after winning gold, Khelif said through an interpreter: “For eight years, this has been my dream, and I’m now the Olympic champion and gold medallist.”
“I’m fully qualified to take part in this competition,” she added. “I’m a woman like any other woman. I was born as a woman, I live as a woman, and I am qualified.”
Khelif filed a legal complaint after winning gold, saying she has been a victim of online harassment.
Source : Sky News
