Algerian gold medal Olympic boxer Imane Khelif, who battered female opponents at the Paris games in 2024, will be required to undergo genetic sex screening to participate in upcoming bouts under new rules approved by international boxing authorities.
World Boxing has announced an emergency rule that mandates the sex testing for Khelif under a new “Sex, Age, and Weight” policy. It has informed the Algerian Boxing Federation that Khelif will not be allowed to participate in the female category at any World Boxing event until she undergoes sex testing.
“This decision reflects concerns over the safety and wellbeing of all boxers, including Imane Khelif, and aims to protect the mental and physical health of all participants in light of some of the reactions that have been expressed,” according to a statement by World Boxing. The statement names Khelif multiple times but uses her full name in every instance and doesn’t use male or female pronouns when referring to the boxer.
Khelif dominated the female welterweight division competition at the Paris games, winning the first bout in 46 seconds with her opponent quitting in tears.
The site 3 Wire Sports has reported that Khelif underwent International Boxing Association tests at the 2022 and 2023 world championships that showed the boxer’s DNA had XY markers with “male” karyotypes.
The boxer was banned from fighting mid-way through the 2023 championships, and the International Olympic Committee was reportedly told of the tests. But because the IBA was under a ban from running boxing at the Paris games following a series of judging scandals and governance issues it was rebuffed in a public statement claiming Khelif was a victim of a “sudden and arbitrary” decision. Khelif was allowed to participate because the boxer’s passport was marked “female.”
World Boxing has been approved as the governing body at the Los Angeles Games and said the new sex testing requirements will apply to the games there. Khelif plans to return to competition this month and hopes to defend the gold medal at Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Chromosome testing previously was common in Olympic sports but was abandoned in the 1990s. The issue of men competing in female sports has become a rallying point for President Trump and other conservatives and has brought more scrutiny over testing requirements.
The new sex tests by World Boxing will include an appeals process and national federations will be responsible for testing and confirming the sex of their athletes when entering them into competitions by providing a certification of their chromosomal sex test reports.
“World Boxing respects the dignity of all individuals and its overriding priority is to ensure safety and competitive fairness to all athletes,” the organization says.
