Latest news with #genderEligibility
Fox News
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Boxing chief calls for Imane Khelif to be stripped of Olympic gold medal: 'I am here for truth'
International Boxing Association (IBA) President Umar Kremlev is demanding that Algerian boxer Imane Khelif's Olympic gold medal be stripped in an effort to achieve "transparency and openness." Khelif won a gold medal in women's boxing at the 2024 Paris Olympics under heavy scrutiny from the IBA, which was derecognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2023 amid concerns about the organization's governance, financial reliance on Russian state energy firm Gazprom and the integrity of the bouts. Khelif was previously disqualified from the IBA for failing a gender eligibility test. Kremlev claimed at the time that unpublished DNA test results showed Khelif had XY chromosomes. The IOC defended the results of the Paris Games, stating that Khelif and another boxer that faced gender eligibility concerns were the victims of a "sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA." Khelif has also publicly denied being transgender. In February, World Boxing was provisionally recognized by the IOC as the sport's governing body – a move that gave way to the organization later announcing a new gender eligibility policy that requires athletes to undergo mandatory sex testing. The policy change comes as the United States prepares to host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. However, for Kremlev, the possibility of Khelif missing international competition is not enough. In an interview with The Sun, he called for the boxer's gold medal to be revoked. "I truly believe that a medal should be truly deserved. We must protect athletes and give them the best conditions," he said. "I am here for truth, transparency and openness. And now the truth has been revealed. "There should be no unfair fights in boxing and the international federations should take care of their athletes." Khelif did not compete in an international boxing tournament in the Netherlands last month after failing to register in time before the applications closed. Kremlev's comments follow a bold statement from new IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who said last month that there has been "overwhelming support" to protect women's sports categories. "We understand that there'll be differences depending on the sport … but it was very clear from the members that we have to protect the female category, first and foremost to ensure fairness," Coventry said. "But we need to do that with a scientific approach and the inclusion of the international federations who have already done a lot of work in this area." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
National Post
01-07-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Boxer Imane Khelif breaks silence over IOC's new rules to protect women
Article content Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif spoke out after the new International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Kirsty Coventry announced policies to ' protect the female category ' at future games. Article content Khelif, 26, won the gold medal in the women's 66 kg division at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but the Algerian's victory was marred by controversy over reports that she allegedly failed gender eligibility tests, resulting in the athlete being one of two competitors — the other, Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting — barred from the 2023 World Championships. Article content Article content Article content Khelif has maintained that she is female, and not transgender, but a recently leaked medical report summarized the findings on the boxer as 'abnormal,' stating: 'Chromosome analysis reveals male karyotype.' Article content While there have been calls for Khelif to return the gold medal, Coventry said in her announcement last month that despite the rules change, the boxer would be allowed to keep her Olympic title. Article content However, the boxer took to Instagram to share a selfie and defiant message: 'Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.' Article content The Olympian also included lyrics from Sia's song 'I'm Still Here,' which speaks of perseverance and survival, in the post that has since been deleted. Article content Article content 'It was fully agreed that as members that, as the IOC, we should make the effort to place emphasis on protection of the female category,' Coventry said in the livestreamed meeting, according to Fox News. Article content 'But it was fully agreed that as members that, as the IOC, we should make the effort to place emphasis on the protection of the female category,' Coventry continued. Article content 'We have to do that to ensure fairness. And we have to do it with a scientific approach. And with the inclusion of the international federations who have done a lot of work in that area.' Article content Khelif's boxing future remains uncertain. Article content World Boxing, which has since been recognized by the IOC as the sport's international federation, has introduced mandatory sex testing and said Khelif would not be able to compete in the female category and defend her Olympic title until she undergoes the test. Article content
The Independent
26-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Kirsty Coventry vows that IOC will ensure fairness for female athletes
Retrospective action will not be taken over the controversial Olympic boxing tournament in Paris last summer but ensuring fairness for female athletes in future has the 'overwhelming support' of International Olympic Committee members, new president Kirsty Coventry has said. The event in Paris sparked controversy after two athletes – Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting – won gold medals despite having been disqualified from the previous year's World Championships for allegedly failing to meet gender eligibility criteria. World Boxing, which has since been recognised by the IOC as the sport's international federation, has introduced mandatory sex testing and said Khelif would not be able to compete in the female category until she undergoes the test. Khelif has always insisted she was born a woman, has lived as a woman and has competed as a woman. The IOC faced criticism for its handling of the row in Paris and for a perceived failure to lead on this issue more widely. Now Coventry, in one of the first acts of her presidency, said there was unanimous backing from IOC members to establish a broad consensus, and announced a working group was being formed to focus on the protection of female sport. She insisted however that nothing the group came up with would have any impact on events in Paris. 'It was very, very clear from the members that we have to protect the female category. First and foremost, we have to do that to ensure fairness,' Coventry said at a briefing on Thursday. 'There was overwhelming support from all of the members… that we should protect the female category. 'It was agreed by the members that the IOC should take a leading role in this, and that we should be the ones to bring together the experts, bring together the international federations and ensure that we find consensus. 'We understand that there will be differences depending on the sports, but it was fully agreed that as members and as the IOC, we should make the effort to place emphasis on the protection of the female category. 'We're not going to be doing anything retrospectively. We're going to be looking forward. From the members that were here (the sentiment) was 'what are we learning from the past, and how are we going to leverage that and move that forward to the future?'' Many sports, including athletics, cycling and swimming, have tightened their rules at the global level to bar competitors who have been through any stage of male puberty from the female category. In March, World Athletics gave the go-ahead for swab tests to determine biological sex and eligibility for its elite female category. Coventry added that World Athletics would be one of the global federations that would have 'a seat at the table' in the discussions. 'Every sport is slightly different, but it was pretty much unanimously felt that the IOC should take a leading role in bringing everyone together to try and find a broad consensus, so that really is what will be guiding the working group,' she added. Coventry, who officially became IOC president on Monday, said the working group membership and terms of reference would be decided in the next few weeks but said it was too soon to set further timelines on when any recommendations might be brought forward. United States president Donald Trump said earlier this year he would deny visas to transgender athletes seeking to compete in female categories at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028. A UK Supreme Court ruling earlier this year, which clarified the wording of the 2010 Equality Act, has already led a number of sports governing bodies to amend their transgender inclusion policies, including the Football Association and the England and Wales Cricket Board. Coventry said members had also called for a review of when and how future Olympic Games hosting decisions would be taken, saying there was a desire from IOC members to be more heavily involved in the process. She said the review would not have any impact on existing dialogue with countries which had expressed interest in hosting future events.
BBC News
03-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Imane Khelif: World Boxing says Algerian fighter must undergo sex test to compete in female category at their events
Khelif required to take sex test for World Boxing fights , Imane Khelif won welterweight gold at the Olympic Games in Paris last year Author, Timothy Abraham Role, BBC Sport journalist 30 May 2025 Olympic champion Imane Khelif will not be allowed to fight in the female category at World Boxing competitions until she undergoes a mandatory sex test. Algeria's Khelif, along with Taiwanese fighter Lin Yu-ting, was disqualified from the 2023 World Championships by previous world governing body the International Boxing Association (IBA) for allegedly failing gender eligibility tests. Khelif was cleared to compete in Paris by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which stripped the IBA of its status as the sport's amateur world governing body in June 2023 over concerns over how it was run. The IOC said competitors were eligible for the women's division in Paris if their passports said they were female. On Friday, World Boxing said that "all athletes over the age of 18" who wish to participate in competitions it owns or sanctions will "need to undergo a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) genetic test to determine their sex at birth and their eligibility to compete". Khelif had been set to make a competitive comeback at the Eindhoven Box Cup from 5-10 June. Khelif has always competed in the women's division and there is no suggestion she identifies as anything other than a woman. Some reports took the IBA stating that Khelif has XY chromosomes to speculate she might have differences of sexual development (DSD) like runner Caster Semenya. However, the BBC has not been able to confirm whether this is or is not the case. The IOC made it clear last year this is "not a transgender case". What has World Boxing said? World Boxing was granted provisional recognition as the sport's international governing federation by the IOC in February 2025. "The introduction of mandatory testing will be part of a new policy on 'sex, age and weight' to ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women," the World Boxing statement said. "The policy is in the final stages of development and has been crafted by a specially convened working group of the World Boxing medical and anti-doping committee, which has examined data and medical evidence from an extensive range of sources and consulted widely with other sports and experts across the world." The statement added that World Boxing "respects the dignity of all individuals" and its overriding priority was "to ensure safety and competitive fairness to all athletes". "To do this, it is essential that strict categories, determined by sex are maintained and enforced, and means that World Boxing will only operate competitions for athletes categorised as male or female," it said. "This decision reflects concerns over the safety and wellbeing of all boxers, including Imane Khelif, and aims to protect the mental and physical health of all participants." In its statement, World Boxing published a letter it had sent to both Khelif and the Algerian Boxing Federation. In the letter World Boxing said the new eligibility rules were developed "with the express purpose of safeguarding athletes in combat sports" given the "physical risks associated with Olympic-style boxing". It also said in the letter that in "the event the athlete's sex certification is challenged by the athlete's federation or by World Boxing" the athlete shall be "ineligible to compete until the dispute is resolved". The Algerian Boxing Federation joined World Boxing in September. Background - Khelif's controversial gold The gender eligibility tests on Khelif that led to her disqualification from the 2023 World Championships were conducted by the Russian-led IBA. The IBA said Khelif "failed to meet the eligibility criteria for participating in women's competition". The IOC questioned the legitimacy and credibility of the IBA's tests, saying they could not be relied upon. Khelif and Lin both went on to win gold in Paris, with their story becoming the central focus of boxing at the games, attracting scrutiny and criticism from around the world. Boxing has featured at every Olympics since 1904, except 1912, but the IOC has run the sport at the past two Games. The sport was initially not part of the programme for LA 2028 when the schedule was first announced in 2022. But the IOC granted provisional recognition for World Boxing as the sport's global governing body earlier this year before voting for its inclusion. In February 2025, the IBA launched a legal case against the IOC or allowing Khelif to compete citing safety concerns over gender eligibility. Khelif called them "baseless accusations that are false and offensive". What is DSD? DSD is a group of rare conditions, whereby a person's hormones, genes and/or reproductive organs may be a mix of male and female characteristics. Some of those affected prefer the term "intersex", which is an umbrella term used to describe people who are born with biological variations in their sex characteristics that don't fit typical male or female categories. Other sports have rules in place for athletes with DSD, whose elevated testosterone levels can lead to increased muscle mass and strength. World Athletics, for example, only allows athletes with DSD to compete in female track events if they reduce their testosterone levels. How will testing take place? World Boxing provided a detailed explanation about the testing in its statement. "The PCR test is a laboratory technique used to detect specific genetic material, in this case the SRY gene, that reveals the presence of the Y chromosome, which is an indicator of biological sex," it said. "The test can be a be conducted by nasal/mouth swab, saliva or blood. "Athletes that are deemed to be male at birth, as evidenced by the presence of Y chromosome genetic material (the SRY gene) or with a difference of sexual development (DSD) where male androgenization occurs, will be eligible to compete in the male category. "Athletes that are deemed to be female at birth, as evidenced by the presence of XX chromosomes or the absence of Y chromosome genetic material (the SRY gene) or with a DSD where male androgenization does not occur, will be eligible to compete in the female category." Under the new policy, national federations will be responsible for testing and will be required to confirm the sex of their athletes when entering them into World Boxing competitions by providing a certification of their chromosomal sex, as determined by a PCR test. World Boxing said failure to provide that will render the athlete "ineligible to compete" and may lead to sanctions against the athlete or their national federation. The organisation added: "Where test results for boxers that want to compete in the female category reveal Y chromosome genetic material and a potential DSD, the initial screenings will be referred to independent clinical specialists for genetic screening, hormonal profiles, anatomical examination or other valuation of endocrine profiles by medical specialists. "As part of its new policy World Boxing will reserve the right to do genetic sex screening on new or existing athlete samples to confirm certification.
BBC News
03-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
World Boxing sorry for naming Khelif in rule change
World Boxing has apologised after Olympic champion Imane Khelif was named in the governing body's announcement of mandatory sex governing body released its new policy last week, and singled out the Algerian, saying Khelif will not be allowed to compete in the female category of its competitions until the fighter undergoes the World Boxing has told BBC Sport its president Boris van der Vorst has since written to the Algerian Boxing Federation to apologise after acknowledging that "the athlete's privacy should have been protected".Khelif, 26, won women's welterweight gold at the Paris Olympics last year amid a row over gender along with Taiwanese fighter Lin Yu-ting, was disqualified from the 2023 World Championships by previous world governing body the International Boxing Association (IBA) for allegedly failing gender eligibility was cleared to compete in Paris by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which stripped the IBA of its status as the sport's amateur world governing body in June 2023 over concerns over how it was IOC said competitors were eligible for the women's division in Paris if their passports said they were female. Khelif had been set to make a competitive comeback in Eindhoven from 5-10 on Friday, World Boxing said mandatory sex testing would be introduced next month "to ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women."It added: "In light of plans to introduce this policy and the particular circumstances surrounding some boxers that competed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, World Boxing has written to the Algerian Boxing Federation to inform it that Imane Khelif will not be allowed to participate in the female category at the Eindhoven Box Cup or any World Boxing event until Imane Khelif undergoes sex testing."This decision reflects concerns over the safety and wellbeing of all boxers, including Imane Khelif, and aims to protect the mental and physical health of all participants in light of some of the reactions that have been expressed in relation to the boxer's potential participation at the Eindhoven Box Cup."World Boxing also published a letter it had sent to both Khelif and the Algerian Boxing Federation, claiming that the new eligibility rules were developed "with the express purpose of safeguarding athletes in combat sports" given the "physical risks associated with Olympic-style boxing".It also said in the letter that in "the event the athlete's sex certification is challenged by the athlete's federation or by World Boxing" the athlete shall be "ineligible to compete until the dispute is resolved".World Boxing was granted provisional recognition as the sport's international governing federation by the IOC in February 2025, and the Algerian Boxing Federation joined it in has always competed in the women's division and there is no suggestion the fighter identifies as anything other than a reports took the IBA stating that Khelif has XY chromosomes to speculate that the fighter might have differences of sexual development (DSD), like runner Caster the BBC has not been able to confirm whether this is or is not the IOC made it clear last year this is "not a transgender case".In a statement on Tuesday, the IOC said it "has always made it clear that eligibility criteria are the responsibility of the respective International Federation. The factors that matter to sports performance are unique to each sport, discipline, and/or event."We await the full details of how sex testing will be implemented in a safe, fair and legally enforceable way."World Boxing has said that its new policy is in the final stages of development, and will mean that "all athletes over the age of 18 that want to participate in a World Boxing owned or sanctioned competition will need to undergo a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) genetic test to determine their sex at birth and their eligibility to compete."
