The Canadian boxer Mandy Bujold who was pregnant and on maternity leave during Olympic qualifying events informed that she has won the case with the Court of Arbitration of Sports (CAS) and will join Tokyo Olympics. Mandy tweeted, “My Olympic dream is still intact.” She had finished fifth at the 2016 Rio Olympics and is set to compete at 51kg in the Tokyo Olympics.
The boxer posted on Twitter, “Very excited to announce that the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was released this morning. I am proud to say that my legal battle was won. The Court ruled the International Olympic Committee (IOC) boxing task force’s (BTF) qualifications decision must include accommodation for women who were pregnant or postpartum during the qualifying period.”
The Canadian Sports Minister Steven Guilbeault wrote a letter to IOC President Thomas Bach the previous month by stating that the decision to become a mother in 2018 should not be penalized which could prevent Bujold from participating in the Olympics.
The boxer further said of the CAS verdict, “It was one of the biggest fights of my career but also the fight with the most meaning, I was standing up for what I believe is right and for the dream I had worked so hard for. I am proud that we’ve set a human rights precedent for female athletes now and the upcoming generations.”
