
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>A contentious fight over who should—and shouldn’t—be allowed to compete in women’s sports has materialized during the Paris Olympics amid criticism over the participation of Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who was disqualified from last year’s World Boxing Championships over a controversial gender eligibility test.&nbsp;<strong>(UPDATE: Khelif&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2024/08/09/boxer-imane-khelif-fights-for-gold-today-as-olympic-gender-debate-rages/"><strong>won a gold medal</strong></a><strong>&nbsp;Friday.)</strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



<p>Khelif unanimously defeated Chinese boxer Yang Liu for the gold Friday, after a unanimous decision victory in the women’s 145-pound semifinals Tuesday.</p>



<p>Khelif also defeated Hungarian boxer Anna Luca Hamori by unanimous decision in the quarterfinal round—the Hungarian Boxing Association&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/imane-khelifs-olympic-participation-decried-letter-opponents-boxing-112508936" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;prior to the bout it would send letters of protest to the International Olympic Committee and Hungary&#8217;s Olympic committee criticizing Khelif&#8217;s ability to participate at the Olympics.</p>



<p>The protest from the Hungarians came two days after Khelif’s first opponent, Angela Carini, withdrew from their match after a punch to the nose.</p>



<p>Carini cried after the match and she would not pass judgment on the matter of her opponent’s eligibility, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-boxing-gender-4b6eb881cce9c34484d30c68ad979127" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Associated Press</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/aug/01/angela-carini-abandons-fight-after-46-seconds-against-imane-khelif" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">told reporters</a>&nbsp;she had never felt a punch like one of the strikes she sustained from Khelif.</p>



<p>Carini&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/articles/c2j3jg51rg4o" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">later said</a>&nbsp;she wished she could go back and change how she handled the moments after the fight and &#8220;wants to apologize&#8221; for not shaking Khelif’s hand after the match.</p>



<p>Khelif’s participation at the Olympics has been a subject of intense scrutiny after she was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-imane-khelif-boxing-paris-2eb07d442ffb29a61e09911884dcdaa9" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">disqualified during</a>&nbsp;the 2023 International Boxing Association’s World Boxing Championships for allegedly failing to meet eligibility requirements for the women’s competition, though the International Olympic Committee has defended her right to compete in the Paris games and called the IBA&#8217;s decision arbitrary.</p>



<p>IBA president Umar Kremlev told reporters this week the test administered on Khelif showed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-boxing-imane-khelif-iba-a26248f5285889dae13743f535ef9ed3" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">elevated testosterone levels</a>—a statement that appeared to contradict a July 31 IBA&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iba.sport/news/statement-made-by-the-international-boxing-association-regarding-athletes-disqualifications-in-world-boxing-championships-2023/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">statement</a>&nbsp;stating Khelif was not subject to a testosterone exam for the World Boxing Championships and was instead put through a separate test that found she had competitive advantages over other women athletes.</p>



<p>The IBA, which is not recognized by the IOC over&nbsp;<a href="https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/News/2023/06/2023-06-IOC-Comprehensive-Report-IBA.pdf?_ga=2.204982870.732664871.1685948118-11722081.1652867343" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">transparency issues</a>, has said the specifics of the test are confidential—though Kremlev alleged to Russian news agency TASS last year Khelif&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/sports/olympics/boxing-two-boxers-who-failed-gender-tests-world-championships-cleared-games-2024-07-29/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">had XY chromosomes</a>—a pair of chromosomes typically possessed by men (Kremlev did not disclose testing details or evidence for the claim).</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">Key Background</h2>



<p>The outcome of the match with Carini, and Khelif’s background, provoked criticism against the Algerian boxer, including scrutiny from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who said “athletes who have male genetic characteristics should not be admitted to women&#8217;s competitions,&#8221; according to&nbsp;<a href="https://news.sky.com/story/paris-2024-boxer-who-failed-gender-eligibility-test-at-world-championships-wins-olympic-bout-in-46-seconds-after-opponent-quits-13188674" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Sky News</a>, noting the prohibition should be done not to discriminate against anyone, “but to protect the right of female athletes to be able to compete on equal terms.&#8221; Khelif is legally a female and is identified as such on her passport, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2024-paris-olympics-gender-boxing-d06c6e06017a535c02a2fd15cacd2e51" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">multiple</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/01/world/olympics/boxer-quits-gender-angela-carini-imane-khelif.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">outlets</a>. Mark Adams, the International Olympic Committee’s chief spokesman, told The New York Times that Khelif is not a transgender athlete, and Adams noted everyone competing in the Olympics’ women’s category has complied with competition eligibility rules. Khelif appealed and called her disqualification from the IBA’s World Boxing Championships last year a “big conspiracy,” according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/boxers-olympics-imane-khelif-lin-yu-ting-gender-eligibility-rcna164257" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">NBC News</a>. The IBA said its decision to disqualify Khelif was “extremely important and necessary to uphold the level of fairness and utmost integrity of the competition.” Khelif later withdrew her appeal. The Algerian fighter has competed as a woman throughout her career and also participated in the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, losing in the quarterfinals against Irish boxer Kellie Harrington in a unanimous decision. Boxing at the Olympics is just the latest women’s sport to become a battleground over gender identity issues, as some critics have argued participation should be limited to people whose biological sex is female at birth.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/01/world/olympics/boxer-quits-gender-angela-carini-imane-khelif.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>&nbsp;reported that intersex athletes, or those with some biologically male characteristics and some female, have also been a focal point of the debate.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-fact">Surprising Fact</h2>



<p>The last time the IBA organized an Olympic boxing competition was during the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. The IOC has criticized the association’s lack of financial transparency, the credibility of its boxing competitions and its governance. Some observers have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/08/01/imane-khelif-algerian-boxer-gender-paris-olympics/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">also questioned</a>&nbsp;the timing of Khelif&#8217;s disqualification, which reportedly took place several days after Khelif had defeated a Russian boxer in the middle of the IBA&#8217;s 2023 competition. Kremlev—a Russia native—is widely described as a Putin acquaintance, and the IBA&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/sports/olympics/olympic-boxing-gender-controversy-russia-1e5bacf8" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">has ties to Russia</a>, though there&#8217;s no direct evidence those factors are linked to the IBA&#8217;s decision.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">Tangent</h2>



<p>Khelif is not the only female Olympic boxer to have stirred up controversy in Paris. Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting was also disqualified from last year’s World Championships over a disputed gender test. She will fight in the women’s 125-pound semifinals Wednesday and has already clinched a bronze medal. Her first victory in the Paris Olympics was met with cheers and boos from the audience, The Washington Post&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2024/08/02/imane-khelif-lin-yu-ting-paris-olympics/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">reported</a>, and prompted USA Boxing Executive Director Mike McAtee to speak up in her defense.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-contra">Contra</h2>



<p>The IOC stood by Khelif’s inclusion, saying in a&nbsp;<a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/joint-paris-2024-boxing-unit-ioc-statement" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">statement&nbsp;</a>that did not explicitly name the boxer that “two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA,” likely referencing Khelif and Yu-ting. Algerian national team soccer player ​​Ismaël Bennacer expressed support for Khelif in a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/IsmaelBennacer/status/1818724354748039246?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1818724354748039246%7Ctwgr%5E0c1cca9f1d0316aafee013fcd8966406b5701ebb%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fiframe.nbcnews.com%2FA7AcODk%3F_showcaption%3Dtrueapp%3D1" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">tweet</a>, saying she is “suffering a wave of unjustified hatred” and that her “presence at the Olympic Games is simply the result of her talent and hard work.” IOC president Thomas Bach has said there have never been any doubts about Khelif and Yu-ting being women and said the Olympics would “not take part in a sometimes politically motivated, cultural war.” Boxer Amy Broadhurst, who beat Khelif in the 2022 IBA World Championships, has supported her former opponent. “Personally I don&#8217;t think she has done anything to &#8216;cheat,&#8217;” Broadhurst&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/amybroadhurst12/status/1818687351582789680" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">wrote on X</a>, formerly known as Twitter. “I (think) it&#8217;s the way she was born &amp; that&#8217;s out of her control.” Marissa Williamson Pohlman of Australia, also a fellow boxer,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/jk_rowling/status/1819007216214573268" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">said she did notice</a>&nbsp;that Khelif felt particularly strong, &#8220;but you just keep fighting, though, don’t you? It’s just a part of the sport.&#8221;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">Further Reading</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2024/08/03/olympics-chief-again-defends-imane-khelif-and-blasts-cultural-war-as-boxer-prepares-for-next-fight/">Imane Khelif Wins Again—Clinches Medal—After Olympics Chief Defends Her</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)</p>



<p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-boxing-imane-khelif-iba-a26248f5285889dae13743f535ef9ed3" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Boxing group answers some questions but raises many more about tests on Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting</a>&nbsp;(AP)</p>


Olympic Games Paris 2024 – Boxing

What To Know About Olympics Gender Debate As Imane Khelif Wins Women’s Boxing Final


<p>Sprinter Letsile Tebogo made history for Botswana and Africa when he was crowned Olympic 200-<br>meter champion in Paris in a moving story that is about much more than just gold medals.</p>



<p>Tebogo raced to victory 19.46, ahead of a pair of Americans in Kenny Bednarek (19.62) and Noah<br>Lyles (19.70), securing a first-ever gold medal for Botswana at the Olympics, and a first African win in<br>the men’s 200m.</p>



<p>Lyles, the favorite who had earlier won the 100m crown, announced directly after the race that he had Covid-19 which had affected his performance, stealing the media limelight to a degree and opening a<br>debate over whether he should have raced now for two days that he was ill, not only for his safety but<br>of those around him.</p>



<p>Not that the quiet Tebogo would have minded the spotlight being off him as he reflects in a personal<br>manner on his triumph, which comes just months after the death of his mother Seratiwa following a<br>battle with cancer.</p>



<p>She had been a driving force behind his career and it was clear as the 21-year-old pointed to the<br>heavens after finishing the crossing line that he was dedicating this victory to her memory.</p>



<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s basically me carrying her through every stride that I take inside the field,&#8221; Tebogo said. &#8220;To take<br>her (with me), it gives me a lot of motivation. She&#8217;s watching up there, and she&#8217;s really, really happy.&#8221;</p>



<p>Lyles had been anointed as the heir apparent to the great Usain Bolt but had his 26-race winning<br>streak in the 200m ended by Tebogo in the semifinals. Asked whether he was now the face of men’s<br>athletics, the Botswanan said he would leave that to Lyles.</p>



<p>“I think, for me, I can’t be the face of athletics because I’m not an arrogant or a loud person like<br>Noah,” he said. “I believe Noah is the face of athletics.”</p>


Athletics – Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 13

The 21-Year-Old Who Has Won The First-Ever Gold For Botswana At The Olympics


<p><strong>As the competition narrowed to the final three throws, Annette Echikunwoke emerged as the leader with a throw that positioned her for a silver medal. The field had already seen four competitors eliminated. However, it was Canada&#8217;s Camryn Rogers who shifted the dynamics with her fifth attempt, taking the lead.</strong></p>



<p>American athlete Annette Echikunwoke, born to Nigerian parents, made history at the Paris Olympics by winning the silver medal in the women&#8217;s hammer throw, marking the first-ever medal for her country in this event.</p>



<p>Echikunwoke’s performance at the U.S. Trials in Eugene, Oregon, set the stage for her Olympic success. Her first throw of 245 feet (74.68m) was unbeatable through all six heats.</p>



<p>For the 28-year-old athlete, this was her second Olympic qualification but her first time competing.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Initially set to represent Nigeria at the Tokyo 2020 Games, which took place in 2021, Echikunwoke faced disqualification due to an administrative oversight that resulted in missed doping screenings for her and several other Nigerian athletes.</p>



<p>“It&#8217;s such a great honor,&#8221; she reportedly said of her historic win. &#8220;All I can do in my heart is to be so grateful to God for putting me in this situation, quite honestly. I&#8217;m so excited and grateful that I get to bring this home for Team USA and to be the first [USA medal winner] is pretty insane. Something that will go down in history. I&#8217;m just happy to be a part of it.&#8221;</p>


Athletics – Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 11

Bouncing Back From Tokyo Setback To Win USA’s First Women’s Hammer Throw Medal In Paris Olympics


<p>The Nigeria women&#8217;s basketball team, known as D&#8217;Tigress, has made a historic leap at the Summer Olympics, becoming the first African basketball team, male or female, to qualify for the quarterfinals.</p>



<p>This achievement comes after a 79-70 victory over Canada at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Paris.</p>



<p>The development complements D’Tigress’ first Olympic game victory in 20 years, marked by their 75-62 win against Australia in the first game.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="708" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/GettyImages-2165226074.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-62662" style="width:666px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/GettyImages-2165226074.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/GettyImages-2165226074-300x207.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/GettyImages-2165226074-768x531.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><strong><em>Team Nigeria pose for a group photo during the Women&#8217;s Group Phase &#8211; (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)</em></strong></figcaption></figure></div>


<p>The team, led by Rena Wakama, its first female head coach, has won four consecutive AfroBasket titles, securing the top spot on the continent.</p>



<p>&#8220;I hope young girls are watching this,&#8221; Wakama told the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). &#8220;I wanted to be the first, but I don&#8217;t want to be the last. If we invest in Africa, we are capable of doing really amazing things. We have to put some eyes on Africa and develop the game there, and it starts with grassroots. It will make the game so much better.&#8221;</p>



<p>For the quarterfinals<strong>, </strong>D&#8217;Tigress will square up with the United States, who have maintained an uninterrupted winning streak since 1996 and won nine of the last 12 Olympic titles.</p>


Basketball – Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 9

Nigeria’s Women Basketball Team Make History In Paris


<p>Ten years on from winning a gold medal in the 10,000-meters at the World Junior Athletics Championships, Joshua Cheptegei has underlined his status as Uganda’s greatest ever athlete.</p>



<p>Cheptegei charged to victory at Paris 2024 in an Olympic record time of 26:43.14 to banish the ghosts of his silver medal in the event three years earlier in Tokyo that had haunted him since.</p>



<p>“I can’t describe the feeling. I’ve wanted this for a long time. When I took silver in Tokyo 2020, I was disappointed. I just wanted to win the 10,000m,” Cheptegei said after his record-breaking feat at the Stade de France.</p>



<p>It was a remarkable race in which the top 13 runners all came in under the previous Olympic record that had stood since 2008, the quick track making for an incredible spectacle.</p>



<p>Cheptegei won gold in the 5,000m in Tokyo but craved the 10,000m title and becomes the first-ever Ugandan to be Olympic champion in the longer distance.</p>



<p>He had lost out to Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega in Tokyo, but in a supremely quick race, the latter could only manage seventh in Paris.</p>



<p>Barega’s compatriot Berihu Aregawi claimed the silver medal this year, just 0.3 seconds behind Cheptegei after leading for large parts of the race before being hauled in at the end.</p>



<p>“We had a team strategy to push the pace and we showed great teamwork. I am very sad we did not achieve the gold medal as a team,” Aregawi said. “I was running for my country and I want to dedicate this silver medal to my country.”</p>



<p>Cheptegei is now Uganda’s undisputed Olympic king with three medals – two golds and a silver – and may not be done yet. He is also competing in the 5,000m, where he will seek to retain the title he won in Tokyo.</p>



<p>He is the world record holder with a time of 12:35.36 set four years ago, but not the quickest this year. That honor goes to Ethiopia’s Hagos Gebrhiwet in a time of 12:36.73 in May.</p>



<p>The 5,000m final will take place on Saturday.</p>


Athletics – Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 7

The First-Ever Ugandan To Be Olympic Champion In The Longer Distance – And He’s Not Done Yet


<p><strong>Africa’s only other medal so far has come from Egyptian fencer Mohamed El Sayed, who secured the bronze in the men&#8217;s epee individual event.</strong></p>



<p>Swimmer Tatjana Smith has claimed Africa’s first gold medal at the Paris Olympic Games after a thrilling late surge in the women’s 100-meters breaststroke final took her to victory in a time of 1:05.28.</p>



<p>Smith, who won a silver medal in the event three years ago in Tokyo when she swam under the surname Schoenmaker, looked to be out of contention going into the final 20 meters, but edged China’s Tang Qianting (1:05.54) and Mona McSharry (1:05.59) from Ireland to the line.</p>



<p>An emotional Smith admitted it had been a difficult time since Tokyo, where she also won the gold medal in the 200-meters breaststroke, as she battled with her new-found fame and had considered giving up the sport.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GettyImages-2164264749.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-62587" style="width:580px;height:auto" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GettyImages-2164264749.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GettyImages-2164264749-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GettyImages-2164264749-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Smith celebrates after winning gold in the  Women’s 100m Breaststroke Final (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>“It was a really tough three years. Just to be back here, swim and have fun, that is a blessing. To enjoy every moment has been special,” Smith told reporters.</p>



<p>“With all of these athletes, they work so hard and eat right, but it comes down to the mental side. Tokyo was such a blessing, the achievements, but it added a lot of expectation and pressure on me.</p>



<p>“I don’t want to swim to become famous, I swim because I love it so much. I had to deal with a lot of those things, everyone wanting a piece of you. That was hard, because I am a very introverted person. But it challenged my character and I have grown out of it.”</p>



<p>Smith will be looking to defend her title in the 200-meters breaststroke that gets underway on Wednesday and concludes on Thursday night.</p>



<p>Paris is becoming a special city for Smith and her family. Her change in surname came about when she married Joel Smith, the brother-in-law of Springbok captain Siya Kolisi.</p>



<p>The latter lifted the Rugby World Cup in Paris last year and now lives in the city, where he plays his club rugby for Racing 92.</p>



<p>The medal is South Africa’s third at the Games after the Rugby Sevens team won the bronze and Alan Hatherly did likewise in the men’s cross-country mountain bike race.</p>



<p>Africa’s only other medal so far has come from Egyptian fencer Mohamed El Sayed, who secured the bronze in the men&#8217;s epee individual event.</p>


Swimming – Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 3

‘Don’t Want To Swim To Become Famous’: Tatjana Smith Wins Africa’s First Gold In Paris Olympics


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">Topline</h2>



<p>Olympics organizers have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2024/07/28/olympics-organizers-apologize-after-drag-queen-last-supper-slammed-by-conservatives/">apologized</a>&nbsp;for staging a scene during the opening ceremony that appeared to parody Leonardo Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” with drag queens, after the scene sparked an uproar from some U.S. religious and conservative leaders and right-wing pundits, echoing protests in recent years against drag performances.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">Key Facts</h2>



<p>Late into the opening ceremony of the Paris Summer Olympics on Friday night, cameras cut to a long table overlooking the Seine River filled with drag stars appearing to resemble Jesus and the 12 apostles in Da Vinci’s fresco masterpiece (Paris Olympics ceremony director Thomas Jolly later told French outlet&nbsp;<a href="https://rmcsport.bfmtv.com/jeux-olympiques/ceremonie-d-ouverture-des-jo-thomas-jolly-et-daphne-burki-repondent-aux-critiques-de-jean-luc-melenchon_AV-202407280144.html" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">BFM TV</a>&nbsp;the scene was a nod to Greek mythology, and not “The Last Supper”).</p>



<p>Right-wing pundits and some lawmakers took to social media shortly after, questioning why the scene was included in the opening ceremony, with former CNN host Piers Morgan&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/piersmorgan/status/1817189903521976503" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">posting</a>: “Would they have mocked any other religion like this? Appalling decision.”</p>



<p>Donald Trump Jr. re-posted a photo of the depiction,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/1817155924345139227" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">saying</a>, “They’re not even pretending anymore,” while billionaire SpaceX, Tesla and X owner Elon Musk called the parody “extremely disrespectful to Christians” in a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1816948075174203771" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">post</a>&nbsp;on his social media platform.</p>



<p>On Saturday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., <a href="https://x.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1817229481972473922" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">blasted the scene</a>, calling it “shocking and insulting to Christian people around the world.”</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">JUST IN: Telecommunications company C Spire has removed all advertising from the Olympics after they mocked Christianity in their opening ceremony.<br><br>C Spire is the sixth-largest wireless provider in the United States.<br><br>&quot;We were shocked by the mockery of the Last Supper during the… <a href="https://t.co/FHnivRD1z1">pic.twitter.com/FHnivRD1z1</a></p>&mdash; Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1817286135581933676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>Actor and comedian Rob Schneider said he would boycott watching the Olympics, arguing in a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RobSchneider/status/1817636079526383634" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">post</a>&nbsp;on X, formerly known as Twitter, the scene “disrespects Christianity and openly celebrates Satan,” while “Full House” star Candace Cameron Bure slammed the parody in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9891rPRYEm/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=d66987b6-2559-4a6d-b317-94a06c9c08d7" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a>&nbsp;post, saying it “mock[d] the Christian faith,” saying it made her “sad for souls.”</p>



<p>Former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis also&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/realJennaEllis/status/1816936347275231671" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">criticized</a>&nbsp;the move as “[o]vert pagan and satanic symbolism,” and Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker—who&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesfarrell/2024/05/15/heres-harrison-butkers-controversial-commencement-speech-in-full/">sparked controversy</a>&nbsp;by suggesting women should focus on being mothers —called the parody “crazy” in a story on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/buttkicker7/?hl=en" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.</p>



<p>Some Christian bishops also bemoaned the parody: Minnesota Bishop Robert Barron, a prominent U.S. Catholic leader,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/BishopBarron/status/1816989733504860577" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">called it</a>&nbsp;a “gross mockery” and emblematic of a “deeply secularist postmodern society,” while Wisconsin-based Bishop Donald Hying&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/bishophying/status/1817013215710114236" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">slammed</a>&nbsp;it as “blasphemy,” and Texas-based Bishop Daniel Flores&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/bpdflores/status/1816971295579337188" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">posted</a>: “the agendas just use the athletes; they deserve more respect. So do people of Christian Faith.”</p>



<p>The parody also drew backlash from conservative commentators, with&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/LibertyLockPod/status/1816938415822159951" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">one</a>&nbsp;arguing the scene was a message to Christians that they are “NOT WELCOME,” and another claiming the Olympics have “gone full Woke dystopian,” while also&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/kylenabecker/status/1816977236085416353" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">arguing</a>&nbsp;the depiction of a white horse carrying the Olympic flag was a reference to the pale horse, a sign of death in the Book of Revelation, the last book in the Bible.</p>



<p>Right-wing filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza—whose 2022 conspiracy documentary “2000 Mules” laid out a far-right claim the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump—<a href="https://x.com/DineshDSouza/status/1817213585581330607" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">called</a>&nbsp;the “Last Supper” parody “blasphemous,” saying: “Outrageous and disrespectful doesn’t begin to cover it.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-contra">Contra</h2>



<p>Many on social media platforms were&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/kevinmyoung/status/1817045800335093863" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">quick</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Eve_Barlow/status/1817193910688719273" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">to</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/lesterkk/status/1817172582249922856" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">point out</a>&nbsp;the Olympics rendition of “The Last Supper” was far from the first parody of the Da Vinci painting, a frequent target of satire, with more recent examples used by TV shows such as “The Simpsons,” “Billions” and “The Sopranos,” and with celebrities portraying the role of Jesus, from Freddie Mercury to Marilyn Monroe.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">Key Background</h2>



<p>Drag queens became the target of right-wing criticism in recent years, coinciding with right-wing pushback against companies that have embraced LGBTQ messaging, and as some GOP-led states push for <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2024/05/10/trump-promises-rollback-on-trans-rights-heres-what-hes-said/">anti-trans legislation</a>, including bans on trans students in locker rooms and bathrooms that align with their gender identities. Right-wing protests against drag have come partly in response to a series of so-called <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2023/02/03/how-drag-queens-became-a-right-wing-target-from-alex-jones-to-tucker-carlsonwith-these-states-trying-to-ban-story-hours-and-shows/">Drag Story Hour</a> events, with some GOP lawmakers baselessly claiming the events sexualize children, and House Republicans <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-drag-queen-story-hour-bill-republicans-target-lessons-2022-10" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">introduced</a> the “Stop the Sexualization of Children” act in 2022. The Anti-Defamation League later <a href="https://www.adl.org/resources/blog/what-grooming-truth-behind-dangerous-bigoted-lie-targeting-lgbtq-community" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a> those claims of “grooming children” are baseless and “bigoted.” But protests around the story hour events persisted, leading to the cancellation of some events, including a 2022 event in San Francisco disrupted by the far-right Proud Boys.</p>


Opening Ceremony – Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 0

Olympics Drag Queen ‘Last Supper’ Sparks Outrage From Musk, Rob Schneider, GOP Pundits


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-topline">TOPLINE</h2>



<p>The International Olympic Committee on Friday confirmed that Russian and Belarusian citizens will be able to compete in the 2024 Olympics in Paris as individual neutral athletes, prohibited from sporting the flag or colors of their countries or backing the war in Ukraine—after some IOC officials suggested the Ukraine invasion could lead to an all-out ban.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>The Russian and Belarusian teams remain prohibited, and state officials will not be invited to the Games,&nbsp;<a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/strict-eligibility-conditions-in-place-as-ioc-eb-approves-individual-neutral-athletes-ains-for-the-olympic-games-paris-2024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the IOC confirmed on Friday</a>.</p>



<p>In addition to a ban on Russian and Belarusian flags, anthems and colors, the IOC also said that athletes or support personnel who actively support the war in Ukraine will be prohibited.</p>



<p>In its press release, the committee says it took into account “the view of the overwhelming majority of athletes not to punish fellow athletes for the actions of their government.”</p>



<p>Like all Olympic athletes, the “Individual Neutral Athletes” will have to sign the “Conditions of Participation” ahead of the 2024 games in Paris, which commits them to respect “the peace mission of the Olympic Movement.”</p>



<p>“Only a very limited number of athletes” will ultimately be eligible to participate under the “strict eligibility” conditions the IOC has laid out, the international organization claims.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h2>



<p>Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Olympics officials hinted at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/russia-belarus-athletes-may-face-paris-2024-ban-iocs-reedie-2022-07-12/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">an all-out ban</a>&nbsp;from the 2024 Olympics for both Russia and its ally Belarus. In March, however, the IOC first laid the groundwork for Friday’s decision, recommending that international sports federations allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to competition and announcing its intention to explore a pathway for them to compete in the 2024 games. At the time, the organization&nbsp;<a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-issues-recommendations-for-international-federations-and-international-sports-event-organisers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;that it “feels deeply for the Ukrainian people” but it “cannot prevent wars and conflicts” nor “address all the political and social challenges in our world.” Despite Friday’s announcement, Russian and Belarusian athletes will still likely be barred from competing in the 2024 Games’ biggest sport area, track and field. World Athletics, the international governing body for track and field, has maintained an all-out ban on Russia and Belarus since the war began, and has previously signaled its<a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/olympics/news/russia-track-and-field-ban-suspension-olympics-2024-paris" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;“unlikely”</a>&nbsp;to reverse that ban.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h2>



<p>Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the subsequent debate over its future in the Olympics, came just months before the country’s two-year ban from international sports due to its state-sponsored doping ring at the Sochi Olympics was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2022/11/29/russia-doping-ban-wada/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">set to expire.</a></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h2>



<p>How Ukraine responds. After the board’s March announcement that it was working on a pathway for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete, Ukrainian officials threatened to&nbsp;<a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-issues-recommendations-for-international-federations-and-international-sports-event-organisers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">boycott the Games.</a></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chief-critics">CHIEF CRITICS</h2>



<p>On X, Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/DmytroKuleba/status/1733165492762804381" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">condemned the IOC’s decision</a>, claiming that the organization “essentially gave Russia the green light to weaponize the Olympics.” He argued that Russia “will use every Russian and Belarusian athlete as a weapon in its propaganda warfare.” Meanwhile, Russian sports minister Oleg Matytsin called the Olympics’ continued restrictive policies on Russian athletes “discriminatory.” “They are damaging the Olympic Games themselves, and not Russian sport,” he said in comments reported by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.barrons.com/news/russia-says-ioc-rules-for-russian-athletes-discriminatory-c4c65786" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Agence France Presse</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h2>



<p>11. That’s how many Individual Neutral Athletes have qualified for the games so far. That includes eight Russians and three Belarusians, the IOC said. So far, more than 60 Ukrainians have qualified.</p>


Tag: 2024 Olympics

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