Topline
World Boxing, the international governing body for amateur boxing, apologized for naming Olympic champion Imane Khelif in an announcement about new mandatory sex testing for athletes, according to multiple reports, amid renewed concerns over Khelif’s gender eligibility debate in last year’s Olympic games.
Khelif won the Olympic gold medal in the women’s 145-pound division last year. (Photo by Mehmet … More
Key Facts
World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst offered “a formal and sincere apology” to the Algerian Boxing Federation in a letter seen by the Associated Press, apologizing for directly mentioning Khelif, an Algerian, in the organization’s announcement of a new sex testing policy.
The president said in the letter “her privacy should have been protected,” the Associated Press reported.
In the announcement, World Boxing said it informed the Algerian Boxing Federation that Khelif would not be allowed to compete in the female category at any boxing event until Khelif completes sex testing.
On Sunday, the alleged results of two chromosome tests of Khelif’s from 2022 and 2023 were published by 3 Wire Sports—an international sports outlet from longtime Olympics reporter Alan Abrahamson—which claimed the results showed male chromosome markers, sparking a widespread response across social media—though no other news outlet has confirmed the report.
The International Olympic Committee, which defended Khelif’s participation in the Paris Olympics, previously disputed the legitimacy of an eligibility test given to Khelif by the International Boxing Association, though it is not clear if that test is one of the two reported on by 3 Wire Sports (Forbes has reached out to the IOC for comment).
World Boxing and the Algerian Boxing Federation did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.
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Chief Critics
Author J.K. Rowling, who has been one of Khelif’s most outspoken critics since the Paris Olympics, reposted 3 Wire Sports’ story on X and called World Boxing’s sex testing requirement a “win for women.” Former collegiate swimmer-turned-right-wing lightning rod Riley Gaines said a cheek swab, one of the ways World Boxing’s sex test can be conducted, is “less invasive than being punched in the face by a man.”
What We Don’t Know
If the IOC plans to institute similar testing requirements for boxing athletes in the 2028 Olympics, which will take place in Los Angeles. The IOC did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment on the matter of testing requirements for the next Olympic games.
Key Background
Controversy around Khelif’s Olympic eligibility began after she defeated Italian boxer Angela Carini in a preliminary match via withdrawal. Carini bowed out of the match after 46 seconds and later told reporters she had never felt a strike like one of the ones she took from Khelif. Carini’s withdrawal and Khelif’s physical appearance became the focal point of questions about the boxer’s eligibility. Critics pointed out Khelif’s disqualification from the 2023 International Boxing Association’s World Boxing Championships, as she allegedly failed to meet eligibility requirements for the women’s competition. IBA President Umar Kremlev claimed a test administered on Khelif showed heightened testosterone levels, though a statement from the IBA later said she did not undergo a testosterone test and instead, was “subject to a separate and recognized test, whereby the specifics remain confidential.” The IOC did not require eligibility testing for Khelif and defended her participation in the Olympic games, with IOC president Thomas Bach telling reports the Olympics would “not take part in a sometimes politically motivated, cultural war.” Khelif entered her final match as the No. 5 seed and won the gold medal in the women’s 145-pound division. She will presumably defend her medal in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Further Reading
Boxer Imane Khelif Wins Gold Medal As Gender Eligibility Debate Rages (Forbes)
What To Know About Olympics Gender Debate As Imane Khelif Wins Women’s Boxing Final (Forbes)
