RT-Engels: 31-05-2025,
The body has also banned a 2024 Olympics gold medal winner from future events until she is tested
Any athlete who wants to compete in Olympic-style boxing will now have to undergo sex chromosome testing according to a decision by World Boxing, the new international body regulating the sport.
The federation, which will oversee boxing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, has specifically stated that Algeria’s Imane Khelif – an athlete whose eligibility to compete as a woman at the 2024 Paris Olympics was questioned – will not be able to participate until her genetic sex is verified.
The new measure will “determine the eligibility of male and female athletes that want to take part,” World Boxing announced on its website on Friday, explaining that the test is aimed at ensuring the “safety of all participants and… a competitive level playing field for men and women.”
The tests are in the final stages of development, the body said, adding the new rules will come into force on July 1.
Those with “Y chromosome genetic material… or with a difference of sexual development (DSD) where male androgenization occurs, will be eligible to compete in the male category,” World Boxing said. The procedure will involve an appeals process and additional tests in case of any disagreements.
The decision to introduce the new rules was taken by the body’s executive board in May,