Laura Woods, the British television presenter for Discovery+ and TNT Sports, has revealed that she received death threats after questioning boxer Imane Khelif‘s participation in the Olympics.
The seasoned sports presenter posted her support on X/Twitter for a Daily Telegraph article, which posited that Khelif’s fights “tarnished” the Olympics and endangered other athletes.
The Algerian boxer was allowed to compete by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) despite being disqualified from last year’s Women’s World Championships because of testing that showed she had “male karyotype” chromosomes. The IOC has stood by its decsion.
“Since I replied to this article I’ve had numerous death threats to myself and my unborn child,” Woods revealed. “Questions on my own gender (I’m pregnant so guess that clears that one up 😂) calls for my employers to sack me, threats to my home. I’ve been called a racist, a bigot and a sexist as well as various insults – c**t, sl*g etc.”
She added: “When there are discrepancies with test results – which could impact the safety of another human being, in an environment that above all else should be fair – questions are quite rightly going to be asked. The answers are still unclear, otherwise this topic would be closed.”
In a follow-up post, Woods said she was not looking for sympathy, but simply wanted to highlight the hostility around discussing Khelif, who won gold at the Olympics.
“Not looking for sympathy. I want to highlight how difficult it is to have any kind of real discussion on any topic like this – when there is evidence on both sides – without abuse drowning it out,” Woods said.
Khelif filed a legal complaint after triumphing in Paris, arguing that she had been a victim of online harassment. J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk were among those named in the complaint.
The IOC defended its decision to allow Khelif to compete. “Obviously I am not going to comment on individuals,” said spokesperson Mark Adams. “That’s really invidious and unfair. But I would just say that everyone competing in the women’s category is complying with the competition eligibility rules. They are women in their passports and it is stated that is the case.”