- Laura Woods Faces Death Threats Over Olympic Boxing Comments after expressing views on gender eligibility for boxers Khelif and Lin.
- Woods received numerous death threats following her support for an article questioning the fairness of allowing Khelif and Lin to compete in the Olympics.
- The controversy arose as Khelif and Lin had previously been disqualified but were later cleared to compete, raising concerns about gender testing fairness.
- Woods emphasized the absurdity of questioning her gender while pregnant and called for clarity in gender testing protocols.
- Khelif has initiated legal action against online harassment, targeting notable figures in her complaint.
Newsypeople – Laura Woods, a well-known television presenter, has recently become embroiled in controversy after receiving multiple death threats stemming from her remarks about the contentious participation of two Olympic boxers, Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting.
Both athletes, who secured gold medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics, had been disqualified from the World Championships due to purported issues with gender eligibility tests. However, they were subsequently permitted to compete by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), igniting fierce debates about fairness and safety in women’s sports.
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Laura Woods voiced her perspective on the matter by commenting “great article” on a post by journalist Oliver Brown that examined the eligibility challenges faced by Khelif and Lin.
This seemingly benign comment unleashed a torrent of vitriolic messages toward her, including threats against her life and her unborn child. In a frank post on X (formerly Twitter), Woods revealed, “I’ve had numerous death threats to myself and my unborn child,” and highlighted the irony of the gender-related accusations aimed at her, particularly as she is pregnant.
The backlash Woods has encountered reflects wider societal tensions regarding gender identity in sports, especially in light of the IOC’s controversial decisions. Woods noted that discrepancies in gender testing inevitably prompt questions, asserting, “When there are discrepancies with test results… questions are quite rightly going to be asked.”
Khelif, facing her own challenges, has asserted her identity as a woman and has launched legal action against her online critics, including notable figures such as J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk, for alleged cyberbullying. The situation is developing, with ongoing discussions in the public and media about its ramifications for women’s sports.
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