Lord Coe vows to 'protect women's sports' if elected IOC president after boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting win world titles

Coe, who is standing for the presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said he is "committed to ensuring that women's sport is given the same opportunities and recognition as men's sport."

His comments come after Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting became the first women to win world titles in their respective boxing weight categories.

Lord Coe has vowed to "protect women's sports" if he is elected president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Coe, who is currently the chairman of the British Olympic Association, is standing for the presidency of the IOC.

He said he is "committed to ensuring that women's sport is given the same opportunities and recognition as men's sport."

His comments come after Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting became the first women to win world titles in their respective boxing weight categories.

Khelif won the gold medal in the women's flyweight division at the 2023 World Boxing Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Lin won the gold medal in the women's bantamweight division at the same championships.

Coe said the victories of Khelif and Lin are "a testament to the progress that has been made in women's boxing." But he added that there is still more to be done to ensure that women's sports receive the same level of support and recognition as men's sports.

“I’m committed to making sure that women’s sport is given the same opportunities and recognition as men’s sport,” he said.

“We need to continue to break down the barriers that women face in sport and create a level playing field for all athletes.”

Coe's comments were welcomed by the boxing community.

“Lord Coe is a true champion of women’s sport,” said International Boxing Association (IBA) President Umar Kremlev.

“His commitment to ensuring that women's boxing receives the same level of support and recognition as men's boxing is a major step forward for our sport.”

The IOC presidential election will be held in September 2023.

Coe is one of four candidates standing for the presidency.

The other candidates are: Ng Ser Miang, the former president of the Singapore National Olympic Council; Aniq Yasmin, a member of the IOC Executive Board; and John Coates, the president of the Australian Olympic Committee.