Amid Olympics gender controversy, Americans weigh whether biological males should compete against women

Debate over the biological sex of a boxer who won a women's match at the Olympic Games is sweeping the globe. Here's what Americans have to say about the issue.

Allegations that the Olympic boxer who won a women's welterweight match has male chromosomes sparked outrage on Thursday, with many Americans saying that biological men should not be allowed to compete against female athletes.

"Tragic," Lee from Houston said of the situation. "You can only imagine your daughter, or any of our daughters, being in the ring with a biological male. It's always a disadvantage biologically."

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif defeated Italy’s Angela Carini after just 46 seconds when Carini abandoned the match Thursday in Paris. Carini later explained a punch from Khelif "hurt too much" to continue.

Athletes and commentators slammed the International Olympic Committee Thursday for allowing Imane Khelif of Algeria, right, to compete against Angela Carini of Italy inthe women's 66kg preliminary boxing match. Khelif and another boxer were previously disqualified after the International Boxing Association accused them of having XY chromosomes. (Isabel Infantes/Reuters)

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Khelif's biological sex had already been the subject of much debate.

The 25-year-old athlete is one of two Olympic boxers competing this year who were disqualified during the 2023 World Championships, overseen by the International Boxing Association (IBA). Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting of Taiwan were both denied medals in the 2023 competition after tournament officials said they failed gender eligibility tests.

IBA President Umar Kremlev said at the time that DNA tests "identified a number of