World Boxing to Implement Gender Verification for Olympic Gold Medalist Khelif in Competitions
International Boxing Witnesses Gender Test Implementation Following Olympian Khelif's Case
World Boxing, the organization designated to oversee boxing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, has announced a new policy requiring mandatory gender tests for all athletes aged 18 and over participating in its events. The rule, effective as of July 1, 2025, aims to maintain a level playing field and ensure safety in competitions.
Renowned Olympic champion Imane Khelif, who caused a stir at the 2024 Paris Olympics, will be affected by this change. Khelif, an Algerian boxer who won gold in women's welterweight, has been notified that she must undergo sex testing if she wishes to compete in the Eindhoven Box Cup or any World Boxing event.
According to the new policy, the primary test is a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, which detects specific genetic material, including the SRY gene that indicates the presence of a Y chromosome. Samples can be collected via nasal or oral swab, saliva, or blood. Athletes who refuse to be tested or fail to provide results will be barred from all World Boxing events.
The introduction of these tests is part of a new guideline on gender, age, and weight to create equal competition conditions for men and women. This move follows previous controversies involving gender testing in boxing, most notably with Khelif and Lin Yu-ting from Taiwan at the Paris Olympics. Both boxers were excluded from the 2023 World Championships following unexplained tests.
World Boxing has been granted provisional recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and will organize boxing at the upcoming Olympic games. The IOC, which took over the organization of boxing tournaments in Paris in 2024 and Tokyo three years earlier after the IBA's suspension, plans to keep boxing in the Olympic program but only with a reliable partner. The outgoing IOC president Thomas Bach emphasized in Paris that they want to maintain boxing in the Olympic roster.
Sources: ntv.de, dbe/dpa
In the future, all athletes wishing to compete in World Boxing events will undergo genetic testing to determine their eligibility for male or female categories. The test is designed to ensure athletes compete in the category corresponding to their biological sex at birth, aiming to maintain fairness and safety in competitions. The policy raises questions about privacy, human rights, and potential discrimination against intersex athletes or those with differences in sex development.
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This new policy marks a significant shift in elite boxing's approach to gender and sex verification, with implications for athlete eligibility, safety, and human rights.
"The new policy implemented by World Boxing, responsible for overseeing boxing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, requires all athletes, including those participating in sports such as boxing, to undergo mandatory genetic testing for eligibility in their respective categories. This change aims to ensure a level playing field and safety in competitions."
"Olympic champion Imane Khelif, a known figure in the sports community, will experience this change firsthand as she is required to undergo sex testing if she wishes to compete in World Boxing events like the Eindhoven Box Cup."
