Algerian boxer Imane Khelif files appeal to compete in women’s event without taking sex test

Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif wants to keep competing in women’s boxing, but doesn’t want to take the now-mandatory sex test.

The Swiss-based Court for Arbitration of Sport said Monday that Khelif filed an appeal Aug. 5 challenging World Boxing’s decision on sex screening and seeking to be declared eligible for the 2025 World Boxing Championships, which run Sept. 4-14.

The sex-disputed Algerian boxer skipped the Eindhoven Box Cup in June after World Boxing announced May 30 that all competitors at its men’s and women’s events would be required to undergo genetic sex screening, which can be accomplished with a cheek swab.

The court said it dismissed Monday the athlete’s request to have World Boxing’s decision on sex screening suspended until the appeal is heard.

“The Parties are currently exchanging written submissions and with their agreement, a hearing will be scheduled,” the CAS media release said. “CAS procedures whilst ongoing, are confidential.”

Khelif won the women’s welterweight gold at the 2024 Paris Games despite being disqualified from the 2023 World Championships after testing deemed the athlete ineligible for the women’s field, according to the International Boxing Association.

World Boxing, which launched in 2023, replaced the IBA as the international sports governing body earlier this year. The same year, the International Olympic Committee cut ties with the Russian-dominant IBA over concerns about governance, finances and match integrity.

The chaos over boxing oversight allowed Khelif and another sex-disputed boxer, Lin Yu-ting to Taiwan, to qualify for the Olympic women’s competition at the Paris games under the IOC rules, which allowed athletes to compete based on the sex listed on their passports.

Lin, who had also been disqualified by the IBA, won the women’s featherweight gold.

The athletes’ success against female boxers spurred an international outcry against biological males in female sports, although neither Khelif nor Lin identifies as transgender.

BREAKING: Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to compete in the upcoming women’s @RealWorldBoxing championships without undergoing genetic sex verification. That request was denied, but the appeal remains ongoing. pic.twitter.com/4BSwatDkyX

— ICONS (@icons_women) September 1, 2025

There is speculation that both have a Disorder of Sexual Development known as 46,XY in which children are born with ambiguous genitalia, but have XY chromosomes and produce male-level testosterone. The athletes have not commented on the speculation.

World Boxing’s newly announced policy requires athletes to undergo a PCR, or polymerase chain reaction, genetic test “to determine their sex at birth and their eligibility to compete.”

“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,” said the association in its May 30 announcement. “The test can be conducted by nasal/mouth swab, saliva or blood.”

Athletes whose test reveals a Y chromosome are eligible to compete in the male category, but not the female category.

“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,” the association said.