Boxing and fencing hope Olympics can draw line under integrity controversies

Combat sports at the Olympics will always deliver a series of compelling spectacles. Whether it be through astonishing takedowns, sickening body shots or rhythmic displays of footwork, every combatant no doubt seeks to light up the arena with a scintillating performance.

Afterall, each event has its own Olympic story. Boxing, for instance, was first introduced to the Games back in 688 BC when, to honour Patroclus, a heroic warrior who fought in the Trojan War, it only made sense for pugilism to take centre stage in Ancient Greece.

Then, more than two millennia later, fencing became a fixture at the Summer Games from 1896. But now, while the two events – steeped in some of the competition’s richest history – continue to captivate spectators in Paris, the pulsating action taking place on the canvas and piste has been somewhat overshadowed by an alarming issue shared by both sports.

In April, USA Fencing suspended two referees, Jacobo Morales and Brandon Romo, for communicating with each other during a bout involving one of this year’s Olympians, Tatiana Nazlymov.

What is more, the governing body had been forced to address another incident when, in a competition that took place just a few months earlier, two other referees, Yevgeniy Dyaokokin and Vasil Milenchev, were accused by USA Fencing chief Phil Andrews of making calls that, once again, favoured Nazlymov.

The New York Times reviewed a letter that was sent by Andrews to the International Fencing Federation in December, expressing his concern that there was “likely to be improper officiating.”

But these types of issues, relating to the integrity of referees, have, at least in the not too distant past, been rife in boxing too. Some may remember the highly controversial clash between pound-for-pound legend Roy Jones Jr and enigmatic Korean fighter Si Hun Park, which took place in the men’s light middleweight final of the Seoul Games in 1988.

After Jones, in most people’s eyes, comprehensively defeated his opponent over three rounds, the American was shockingly denied a gold medal when the ringside judges awarded Park with the victory instead.

Following the IOC’s investigation into the matter, it later emerged that the judges had been wined and dined by the Korean boxing federation during the tournament. In truth, Olympic boxing has never fully recovered, as concerns over bout manipulation, officiating and financial transparency were raised following the Rio Olympics in 2016.

This compelled the IOC to withdraw its recognition of the International Boxing Association (IBA) – a governing body that formerly administered Olympic qualifying – in June 2023, which has, in turn, accelerated the growth of a new organisation, World Boxing.

While the IOC’s decision was initially challenged by IBA, the Court of Arbitration for Sport eventually dismissed the organisation’s appeal in April, when World Boxing was officially launched by Boris van der Vorst.

The Dutchman formed the breakaway organisation with support from Great Britain, USA and Ireland, but nations such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Cuba – all likely to medal this year – remained fighting in IBA competitions in the lead up to Paris.

open image in gallery

There are, however, a concerning number of athletes whose preparation has been largely affected by the situation, as boxers showing loyalty to World Boxing have competed in less tournaments than what they would have hoped for.

Now, the future of boxing at the Olympics hangs in the balance, as while World Boxing looks to clean up the sport’s reputation, there is still a way to go before the IOC’s trust can be restored.

In order to protect the integrity and credibility of sports at the Summer Games, The Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions (OM Code PMC) was implemented at Rio 2016; and the regulatory tool maintains its aim to suppress match-fixing attempts involving officials and, in some cases, the athletes themselves.