Combative Sports Life
Imane Khelif (Algeria), 66Kg boxing and Lin Yu-Ting (Chinese Taipei) 57Kg boxing pose with their Gold Medals At the Paris Olympics, Image BBC
The Controversy at the boxing venue during the Paris Olympics
By Robbert Wijtman
PARIS, July 2025 - Why were two 2024 Olympic Gold Medalists recently stripped of their medals and banned from competition?
Imane Khelif (Algeria), 66Kg boxing, and Lin Yu-Ting (Chinese Taipei), 57Kg boxing, and flag bearer for her country, were both retroactively determined to be ineligible to compete and stripped of their medals.
The IOC accused the IBA of failing to properly test after two female boxers were found gender ineligible.
First, the IBA disqualified the boxers from the 2023 World Boxing Championships after they failed unspecified gender eligibility tests. Next, the IBA's decision prompted social media backlash, which led to false accusations that the athletes were male or transgender. Later, the IOC questioned the IBA's decision and ultimately allowed the boxers to compete.
After the IBA maintained its stance and filed a complaint against the IOC, the IOC responded by dropping the IBA as the sole representative of Olympic boxing. The IOC then replaced the IBA with World Boxing (WB) as the international governing body for the sport.
On July 1, 2025, World Boxing will implement a new policy requiring all athletes over 18 participating in their competitions to take a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test. This test then solely determines each athlete's sex at birth and eligibility to compete in either the male or female category.
A simple mouth swab test focuses on detecting the presence of the SRY gene. The gene encodes a transcription factor. This factor influences the expression of other genes involved in sex differentiation. Located on the Y chromosome, the SRY gene is crucial for male sex determination in mammals. It initiates testicular development in a fetus. In the absence of the SRY gene, individuals typically develop female characteristics.
Currently, the presence or absence of a single allele is the sole determinant of Sex At Birth (SAB).
World Boxing announced that Khelif underwent the mandatory PCR test, which showed the presence of the SRY allele. This finding, made after the test, retroactively rendered her ineligible to compete in the women’s category. At the IBA world championships in 2022 and 2023, tests performed on Khelif and Yu Ting Lin of Chinese Taipei revealed XY markers and testosterone levels typical of males. Despite these findings from previous championships, the IOC permitted both athletes to compete in Paris, stating eligibility depended on the gender identity shown on their passports.
It was revealed that Khelif has a condition known as type 2, 5-alpha reductase deficiency. The condition prevents the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, the form it is used in the body. This condition includes XY chromosomes, internal testicles, and testosterone levels significantly higher than those of the average woman. Although rare, this condition can confer significant physical advantages in high-performance sports, especially in contact disciplines such as boxing.
The IOC stated that the IBA’s tests are “not legitimate”
The IOC repeated that the IBA’s tests were “not legitimate” and raised concerns about both the methodology and the process.
In its defence, the IBA said its tests were legitimate and its decision was a response to changing conditions during the championships. They further stated that the tests prove that the decision of the IBA Secretary General (Chris Roberts) at the time wasn’t arbitrary, as the IOC has alleged.
The lawsuit between the IOC and the IBA is ongoing, with the IBA appealing the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) decision to the Swiss Federal Tribunal. The initial CAS ruling upheld the IOC's decision to remove the IBA from the Olympic family due to concerns about its governance, finances, and ethics. The IBA has indicated it will pursue legal action on this issue. The IBA is also challenging the IOC's decision to include Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting in the Paris Olympics.
In response to this controversy, the World Boxing Federation (WBF), the professional boxing federation, has implemented a PCR test program that uses the SRY marker to detect the presence of a Y chromosome.
USA Boxing has a more detailed policy regarding transgender athletes. Their guidelines require transgender women over 18. to undergo genital reassignment surgery and submit to hormone testing to compete in the female category, and transgender men over 18 to meet similar requirements to compete in the male category. This policy has faced criticism. IBF/World Boxing gender testing focuses on the PCR test for sex at birth, not broader transgender inclusion protocols like those of USA Boxing.
The debate on identity and biology in sports is far from finished. The IOC’s 2021 framework on inclusion and non-discrimination states that athletes must compete in the category that best aligns with their gender identity. It allows for the evaluation of physical performance, although it prohibits tests aimed at determining sex. This approach prioritises identity over biology. It has created tensions and differing opinions in sports where physical differences can be decisive. The ethical and moral issue of setting an example for society also plays a decisive role in all IOC decisions. It is core to IOC values. Clearly, it is a highly complex issue.
World Boxing will oversee the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The exclusion of Khelif and the introduction of the new PCR test establish a precedent that could fundamentally reshape policies on inclusion and equity in international sports.
Newly elected IOC president, Kirsty Coventry, has some hard decisions to make. Those that will honour the IOC core principles, yet remain fair to all. With the LA Games quickly approaching, a program needs to be implemented across all sports affected by the 2027 World Championships.
