Canadian boxer taking IOC to court for spot at Tokyo Olympics

KITCHENER – A Kitchener-based boxer is taking the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to court, arguing it discriminated against her based on her sex.

Mandy Bujold took time off for her pregnancy. She argues the IOC later used new criteria to determine the four qualifiers after an Olympic event in Argentina this month was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“(The IOC) basically put out a letter, saying how the (four) spots (in the Tokyo Olympics) were going to be allocated, based on new criteria,” she told 570 News in Kitchener.

The criteria was an 11-month window, involving three events in 2018 and 2019, a time where Bujold had her daughter Kate. She was on maternity leave, postpartum, and then trying to make her return to international competition.

Despite consistently being a top-three boxer in the Americas, finishing second at the Continental Championship before her pregnancy, and placing fifth at the Rio Olympics in 2016, the IOC’s decision left her out of the running for Tokyo.

She said at the time, the events used to determine qualification were not qualification events, and if they had been, “I could’ve made different decisions on what point within that Olympic cycle I was going to take time off to have a child.”

“They’re going back, and the short period of time that they’re selecting makes it hard for female athletes, like myself, who had that time off to have a child,” Bujold said.

Looking at it, she felt the situation was unfair and called up her friend and lawyer Sylvie Rodrigue. She said Rodrigue told her by looking at the Olympic charter, this was a direct violation of rules set out and sent a letter to the IOC on April 23.

Bujold set a deadline of Monday for the IOC to respond, otherwise she would pursue the discrimination legal challenge before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Bujold said the IOC responded on Tuesday, indicating it would not accept the legal arguments raised in her letter. She called the IOC’s position “surprising,” not just on the issue of human rights, but also given the IOC’s recent public statements on a commitment to women and gender equity.

Here’s the latest on my fight for Tokyo pic.twitter.com/kerrg4chDy

— Mandy Bujold (@MandyBujold) May 4, 2021

“Great progress has been made in terms of balancing the total number of athletes participating at the Games, however, many other challenges and gaps remain,” said a page entitled Gender Equality on the IOC’s website.

“The IOC is working to address these inequalities through leadership development, advocacy and awareness campaigns, and appointing more women to leadership roles within the administration and key governance positions.”

Bujold said the support from the community has been overwhelming, and bringing a light to this issue is important, even if she ultimately doesn’t represent Canada this summer.

“This is something that sports organizations need to take into consideration when they’re talking about female athletes,” she said, “And making criteria for female athletes.”

Bujold said in her case, even if she’s going up against the giants of the IOC, the fight is worth it.

“This is the dream I’ve had my entire career, and I know that I’m just so close to being able to achieve that,” she said.

“It just would be a shame to not be able to put my work on display.”