Sports presenter threatened over Olympic women’s boxing criticism

A pregnant TV presenter has been sent death threats after she indicated support for an article criticising the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) handling of the women’s boxing controversy at the Paris 2024 games.

Laura Woods, a sports presenter for TNT and ITV, reshared an article titled ‘Blinded by ideology: Inside boxing row that undermined IOC and tarnished Olympics’ on X.

The article criticised the IOC for “allowing two biologically male boxers into the female category”, concluding: “In the space of a single Games, the IOC has done nothing less than distort biological truth in a sport fraught with physical risk”.

Abuse

Woods commented “Great article” as she shared the post with her 785,000 followers, but was surprised by the backlash she received.

She shared: “Since I replied to this article I’ve had numerous death threats to myself and my unborn child.
“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”.

She continued: “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.”

Silenced

Woods noted that the abuse she had received is why she had not spoken up on this issue previously.

She concluded: “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”.

Helen Joyce, director of advocacy for charity Sex Matters, wrote: “Women who object are told that accepting other people’s identities does them no harm, and that they must ‘be kind’. Well, being punched in the face by someone whose biology means they’re more than twice as strong as you looks pretty harmful to me.

“And insisting that women pipe down and take those punches, while threatening the unborn children of those who try to defend them, is anything but kind.”