Leaked Medical Test Results of Boxer Imane Khelif Raise Controversy in Women’s Boxing
Recent reports reveal that medical test results from boxer Imane Khelif’s screening during the 2023 World Championships have been leaked, indicating a "male karyotype" in the chromosome analysis. This information was first disclosed by American journalist Alan Abrahamson on the 3 Wire Sports website, just 36 hours after World Boxing mandated that Khelif undergo sex screening to maintain her eligibility for future female category competitions.
The leaked document, dated March 17, 2023, describes Khelif’s findings as "abnormal." The testing was performed at Dr. Lal PathLabs in New Delhi, a facility that is accredited by the American College of Pathologists and certified by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). The report suggests that Khelif was biologically assigned male at birth.
These results are significant as they relate directly to Khelif’s disqualification from the 2023 World Championships after failing a gender eligibility test. This disclosure contradicts statements made by IOC spokesman Mark Adams, who characterized the testing process during a press conference at the Paris Olympics as "ad hoc" and "not legitimate." Adams stated, "Those tests are not legitimate tests. The tests themselves, the process of the tests, the ad hoc nature of the tests are not legitimate." He further dismissed the methodology used, asserting that the testing process was not credible.
However, the documentation from the accredited Dr. Lal PathLabs challenges Adams’s claims about the legitimacy of the testing process. In light of these findings, World Boxing has imposed an indefinite ban on Khelif, preventing her from competing in the female category at any events, including the upcoming Eindhoven Box Cup scheduled for June 5-10, 2025. A letter was sent to the Algerian Boxing Federation stating that "Imane Khelif may not participate in the female category at the Eindhoven Box Cup and any World Boxing event until she undergoes genetic sex screening in compliance with World Boxing’s rules and testing procedures."
This situation poses a significant hurdle for Khelif’s aspirations to defend her gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. World Boxing has been granted provisional authority by the IOC to oversee boxing at the LA Games, which includes requiring PCR testing to detect the SRY gene, a marker indicating the presence of the Y chromosome.
The controversy surrounding Khelif began when she was disqualified from the 2023 World Championships in New Delhi due to the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) claims that she failed gender eligibility tests. IBA president Umar Kremlev stated that Khelif possesses XY chromosomes, which are indicative of a male pattern. Despite this, Khelif was allowed to compete in the Paris Olympics after the IOC revoked the IBA’s governing authority and replaced it with the Paris Boxing Unit. She was cleared to participate based on her female passport and her self-identification as female.
At the Paris Olympics, the 26-year-old athlete excelled in the 66kg competition, securing a gold medal by defeating China’s Yang Liu in the final match. Throughout her journey, the IOC faced increasing pressure to address ongoing concerns regarding her biological sex classification.
As the situation develops, the intersection of sports, gender identity, and regulatory frameworks continues to spark intense discussions in the boxing community and beyond.
