Imane Khelif, the Olympic boxing champion, is fighting a tough battle outside the ring. She has taken World Boxing’s mandatory gender tests to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). These tests could keep her out of international competitions. The CAS, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, confirmed her appeal.
Khelif, who represents Algeria, filed her appeal last month. This happened after she was barred from the upcoming World Championships. Those championships kick off on Thursday. She refused to undergo genetic tests meant to confirm participants’ gender. She tried to get CAS to suspend World Boxing’s decision, but the court did not agree. This means Khelif will not compete, adding another chapter to her ongoing conflict with the sport’s governing body.
At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Khelif and Lin Yu-ting from Taiwan both won gold medals. Their wins came with public questions about their gender. Both women were born and compete as women. However, the International Boxing Association (IBA) had banned them from the 2024 World Championships. The IBA said they failed eligibility tests, but never shared the rules for these tests.
The IBA itself later faced big problems. It was removed from the Olympic movement due to issues with its leadership and corruption. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) then took over. It managed the boxing qualification for Paris 2024. Under the IOC’s rules, Khelif and Yu-ting both met the gender eligibility standards.
Now, for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, World Boxing is temporarily in charge of qualifying for the boxing tournament. This organization gave in to pressure from other boxers and national federations. It created new mandatory gender eligibility standards. Interestingly, Khelif’s name was specifically mentioned when these new rules were announced.
The IOC’s new president, Kirsty Coventry, has also made a move. She has made eligibility rules in women’s sports a top priority. Coventry announced a group of experts will now study this complex issue.