World Boxing Announces Sex Testing For Fighters After Imane Khelif Olympic Win
With IOC changes to boxing governance, rules could shape paths to LA Olympics 2028
World Boxing announced that it is following in the footsteps of World Athletics by instituting a sex testing policy for athletes who wish to compete in the women's category. Algerian boxer Imane Khelif drew attention to the issue during the 2024 Olympics, when Khelif – who is reported to have a difference of sex development (DSD) and XY chromosomes – captured a gold medal in women's boxing.
"As part of this policy, World Boxing will operate two categories as determined by sex: a men’s category and a women’s category. To be eligible for the men’s category, a competitor must be male at birth. To be eligible for the women’s category, a competitor must be female at birth," the new policy reads.
As far as how the organization will implement the policy, World Boxing "will introduce mandatory sex testing to determine the eligibility of female and male athletes that want to take part in its competitions. It means that all athletes over the age of 18 that want to participate in a World Boxing-owned or sanctioned competition will need to undergo a once-in-a-lifetime, PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test or a functional medical equivalent genetic test to determine their sex at birth and their eligibility to compete."
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who has XY chromosomes, won a gold medal in women's boxing at the 2024 Olympics.
(Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
As OutKick has previously reported, the test consists of a simple cheek swab or blood test. American Democrat politicians have consistently used fearmongering tactics, stating that athletes would be subject to invasive tests or genital exams. That's simply false, as both the World Athletics and World Boxing procedures demonstrate.
The move by World Boxing is incredibly important because in March the International Olympic Committee (IOC) made the organization the governing body of the sport worldwide. That means that boxers wishing to compete in the 2028 Olympics must follow the rules set forth by World Boxing, which now includes mandatory sex testing.
By setting these standards now, World Boxing is not only shaping the path to the 2028 Olympics, but also setting a precedent that could influence how all international sports federations handle eligibility in the years to come.