Olympic champion Imane Khelif appeals World Boxing genetic sex-test ruling
Court of Arbitration for Sport confirms appeal but declines to suspend World Boxing's requirement that Khelif undergo genetic testing before competing
Imane Khelif, the Algerian boxer who won gold at the Paris Olympics, has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport against a World Boxing decision that bars her from competing in upcoming events unless she undergoes genetic sex testing.
The CAS said on Monday that Khelif submitted the appeal last month. It also said it had dismissed a request to suspend World Boxing’s decision pending the outcome of the appeal, meaning the ruling remains in force while the case is heard. Khelif had sought to take part in the world boxing championships that begin Thursday but will not be permitted to compete unless she complies with the testing requirement or the ruling is overturned.
Khelif’s gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics drew international scrutiny, including attention alongside Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, another Olympic gold medalist. Both athletes were previously disqualified from the International Boxing Association’s 2023 world championships after that governing body said they had failed unspecified eligibility tests. The IBA later faced widespread criticism for governance issues and was removed from its role overseeing Olympic boxing.
World Boxing, the sport’s current governing body for international competition, issued the decision requiring Khelif to submit to genetic sex testing before she could enter its events. The CAS ruling on Monday concerned only the procedural request to suspend that decision; it did not resolve the substantive appeal on Khelif’s eligibility or the merits of World Boxing’s testing requirement.
The International Olympic Committee has overseen the boxing tournaments at the last two Games after the IBA’s problems led to changes in governance. Olympic and international sports governing bodies have in recent years wrestled with policies on sex and gender eligibility, applying differing rules and procedures across sports. World Boxing says it is enforcing eligibility standards intended to preserve fair competition in female-weight categories.
Khelif’s legal team filed the appeal to CAS seeking to overturn World Boxing’s requirement and to allow her to compete at the world championships and other events without additional genetic testing. With CAS declining to grant interim relief, Khelif remains excluded from entry lists for the upcoming championships until CAS adjudicates the appeal or World Boxing alters its position.
The CAS announcement did not disclose a timetable for a hearing or a decision on the merits of the appeal. Representatives for Khelif and for World Boxing did not immediately provide further comment through the CAS release.
The case highlights the continuing tensions in amateur boxing governance and the broader, unsettled landscape around sex eligibility rules in elite sport. The outcome of the appeal could affect not only Khelif’s immediate competitive plans but also how World Boxing and other federations apply and enforce medical and genetic eligibility criteria in future events.
