IOC Dismisses Paris 2024 Gender Row as Fake News

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach has dismissed the controversy over two female boxers at the Paris 2024 Olympics as a Russian disinformation campaign. The controversy arose after the International Boxing Association (IBA), led by Russian Umar Kremlev, accused the IOC of allowing the athletes to compete despite a prior ban by the IBA. Bach, who is stepping down in June, characterized the claims as 'fake news' from Russia, noting that such campaigns were common before and after the Games. The IOC had taken over the boxing event organization due to the IBA's governance and financial issues. The two athletes involved, who had competed in previous Olympics without issue, were targeted in the campaign, which Bach said was unrelated to reality. He highlighted multiple Russian attempts to undermine the IOC, including hacking and prank calls.