The results of Algerian boxer Imane Khelif’s 2023 sex test have surfaced publicly for the first time, suggesting that the Olympic gold medallist may be biologically male. The revelation adds new urgency to the intensifying debate over sex verification in women’s sport.
Just 36 hours after World Boxing announced that Khelif must undergo genetic testing to be eligible for future participation in the female category, the medical report that led to her previous disqualification was released. The findings, dating back to March 2023 and carried out during the World Championships in New Delhi, show that Khelif’s chromosomal profile is “male”, with a confirmed XY karyotype.
The test was conducted by Dr Lal PathLabs, a respected Indian laboratory accredited by the American College of Pathologists and the International Organisation for Standardisation. The report, published by American journalist Alan Abrahamson on the 3 Wire Sports website, lists the result as “abnormal” and directly contradicts statements made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
At a press briefing during the Paris Olympics, IOC spokesman Mark Adams dismissed the results as “ad hoc” and “not legitimate”. IOC President Thomas Bach went further, alleging a Russian-led disinformation campaign, citing the role of the Russian-led International Boxing Association (IBA), which has since been stripped of IOC recognition over governance concerns.
However, the credentials of the laboratory conducting the testing have placed pressure on the IOC to substantiate its scepticism. The situation also casts doubt over Khelif’s boxing future, with World Boxing—provisionally tasked with overseeing the sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Games—insisting that all competitors over 18 must undergo PCR-based genetic testing to verify sex.
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This stance comes in the wake of significant backlash following the Paris Games, where Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting won gold despite having been barred from competition the previous year by the IBA for failing to demonstrate female chromosomal status. Critics say these victories raised concerns over fairness and safety in women’s sport.
Angela Carini of Italy, who lost to Khelif in her opening match, described the punches she received as “life-threatening”. Mexican boxer Brianda Tamara, who faced Khelif in 2022, said: “In 13 years of boxing, I’ve never experienced anything like it—not even sparring with men.”
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The controversy has prompted calls for stricter sex classification in elite sport. Latin American federations have voiced strong support for World Boxing’s stance. In a letter to the Women’s Rights Network, the Honduran federation urged that “only women by birth” be allowed to compete in female events. The Peruvian federation echoed this view, calling for the “protection of women” in boxing.
Khelif, now 26, has remained publicly defiant, pledging to compete for a second Olympic title in Los Angeles in 2028. However, unless she complies with the new sex verification protocols, her eligibility remains in serious doubt.
