French women's boxing team barred from World Championships after missing sex-test deadline
World Boxing's new mandatory genetic testing rule prevented five French boxers from competing after results could not be delivered in time
France's women's boxing team was barred from the World Championships in Liverpool after missing a deadline to provide genetic sex-test results required by World Boxing.
World Boxing introduced a policy last month requiring women competing at the event to undergo mandatory genetic sex testing. The championships, which began on Thursday and run from 4-14 September in northwest England, are the first World Championships organised by World Boxing.
The French Boxing Federation (FFBoxe) said it had sent a five-member women's team to a laboratory in Leeds on Monday after the tests were prohibited in France except under strict conditions. On Thursday the federation announced the laboratory would be unable to provide the results in time for its athletes to be eligible to compete, leaving the team unable to take part.
In a statement, the French federation said it had learned "with stupefaction and indignation" on Wednesday evening that its women would not be able to compete in the World Championships. The federation did not provide further detail about whether it had sought an extension or other recourse from World Boxing.
World Boxing said last month that the new policy would apply to women seeking to compete at its events. The organisation has framed the tests as part of eligibility verification for female competitors. French domestic law bans such genetic sex testing except under strict circumstances, prompting FFBoxe to arrange for its athletes to be tested outside France.
The withdrawal of the French women highlights tensions between national legal restrictions and international sporting regulations, and it removes five competitors from a tournament intended to crown global champions in amateur boxing.
No further information about possible appeals or replacements was immediately available from World Boxing or the French federation. The World Championships continue with the remaining athletes scheduled to compete through the event's closing sessions on 14 September.