Eimear Ryan: I'm wary of policing women who don’t fit the feminine ideal

Algeria's Imane Khelif reacts after beating China's Yang Liu in the women's 66kg final boxing match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Pic: MOHD RASFAN/AFP

I’m not very knowledgeable about boxing, so I’ve been paying attention to what boxers have been saying about the Imane Khelif controversy. I find it hard to argue with Amy Broadhurst, who tweeted: "Personally I don’t think she has done anything to 'cheat'. I think it’s the way she was born and that’s out of her control. The fact that she has been beaten by nine females before says it all."

I’m not an expert, but I don’t see how we can penalise women for exploiting their naturally occurring traits for athletic advantage, when that is what athletes, male and female, have always done, and usually to acclaim.