Imane Khelif must undergo 'mandatory sex testing' to compete in Olympics
World Boxing has announced that any athletes competing in women's categories must undergo "mandatory sex testing" while specifically singling out Imane Khelif.
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The governing body for boxing mentioned the Algerian Olympic gold medalist by name several times in its Friday statement introducing the new 'Sex, Age and Weight' rule. The policy mandates that all participants in women's events — but not men's — must undergo a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, which produces copies of DNA in order to study a specific segment.
In this case, the test would be used to study chromosomes. World Boxing wrote that athletes would be eligible to compete if they have the "presence of XX chromosomes or the absence of Y chromosome genetic material (the SRY gene) or with a DSD where male androgenization does not occur," effectively only permitting intersex people who present as women and don't produce substantial amounts of testosterone. It added that those who do not pass "will be eligible to compete in the male category."
Related: The transphobia Imane Khelif is experiencing isn't new—it's part of a disturbing, hateful pattern
World Boxing also included a letter it sent to the Algerian Boxing Federation, in which it said "Imane Khelif may not participate in the female category at the Eindhoven Box Cup, 5-10 June 2025 and any World Boxing event until Imane Khelif undergoes genetic sex screening in accordance with World Boxing's rules and testing procedures."
The letter noted that competition rules are usually changed by Congress, but that the World Boxing Executive Board has the authority "under special or emergency circumstances ... when a rule is deemed no longer functional or when evolving conditions necessitate a change."
Khelif became the target of an international transvestigation during the Paris Olympics last year when she handily beat Italian boxer Angela Carini and went on to win the gold medal. Many conservative figures — including JD Vance, Elon Musk, and J.K. Rowling — began recirculating rumors that Khelif had supposedly failed a gender eligibility test in 2023 under the International Boxing Association, which was later banned from Olympic participation for corruption.
Khelif was disqualified from the IBA only after beating Russian athlete Azalia Amineva in a tournament, prompting the organization's Russian president, who brought in Russian state-owned money to sponsor the organization, to ban her. The results of the supposed test have not been made public nor have they been independently verified.
'I see myself as a girl, just like any other girl. I was born a girl, raised as a girl and have lived my entire life as one," Khelif told ITV News in March. 'I have competed in many tournaments, including the Tokyo Olympics and other major competitions, as well as four world championships. All of these took place before I started winning and earning titles. But once I began achieving success, the campaigns against me started.'
World Boxing will be overseeing boxing at the next Olympic Games, which is being held in Los Angeles in 2028. The new rule for women boxers will go into effect July 1, 2025.
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