Olympic Champion Imane Khelif Appeals Sex Test Ruling at CAS

Olympic gold medallist Imane Khelif has taken her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after being barred from competing in women’s boxing without undergoing genetic testing, Sport360NG reports.

The Algerian star is challenging World Boxing’s decision, introduced in May, which requires all boxers over 18 to take a PCR genetic test to verify sex at birth before entering competitions organised or sanctioned by the body.

Khelif’s appeal also asks CAS to confirm her eligibility for the upcoming World Boxing Championships, scheduled for 4–14 September, without the test. However, CAS has already rejected her request to suspend World Boxing’s rule pending a final verdict.

World Boxing faced criticism earlier this year after it apologised for publicly naming Khelif when announcing its new testing policy. Both sides are now submitting written arguments, with a hearing to be set once they agree on a timetable.

The 26-year-old made headlines at the Paris 2024 Olympics when she claimed welterweight gold amid controversy over her eligibility. The previous governing body, the International Boxing Association (IBA), had banned Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting from the 2023 World Championships after they allegedly failed gender eligibility checks.

However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) cleared Khelif to fight in Paris, stressing that athletes could compete in the women’s division if their passports identified them as female. The IOC also underlined that the case did not involve a transgender athlete.

Khelif has only ever competed in women’s events and has never identified as anything other than female. Reports citing the IBA’s claim that she carries XY chromosomes have fuelled speculation she may have a differences of sexual development (DSD) condition, similar to that of South African runner Caster Semenya.

World Boxing, which the IOC provisionally recognised as the sport’s new international governing body earlier this year, is now at the centre of the legal battle.