Olympic Gold Medalist Khelif Barred From Competition Until Gender Test Completion

Imane Khelif, the Algerian Olympic gold medalist boxer, has been ordered by World Boxing, the newly recognized global governing body, to undergo mandatory genetic sex testing before she can compete in upcoming events, including the Eindhoven Box Cup. This policy follows similar measures introduced by World Athletics and is part of a broader initiative to ensure safety and fairness in competition by verifying athletes' sex, age, and weight. Khelif, a cisgender woman who won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has faced ongoing scrutiny and allegations regarding her gender since 2023, initially from the now-disbanded International Boxing Association (IBA), which accused her of failing gender tests without transparent evidence. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has supported Khelif's eligibility and condemned the IBA's claims, emphasizing that this is not a transgender issue. Critics argue that the new testing policies risk unfairly targeting women of color and raise concerns about privacy, fairness, and human rights in sports. Khelif may avoid the testing requirement by turning professional, though she remains determined to continue her amateur career and has initiated legal actions against defamation and cyberbullying related to these allegations.