September 01, (THEWILL) — Algerian boxer, Imane Khelif, has lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, challenging World Boxing’s decision to bar her from competitions unless she submits to genetic sex testing. The 26-year-old Olympic champion filed the appeal on August 5, seeking to overturn the governing body’s ruling that prevents her participation in any World Boxing events without undergoing the required screening.
CAS has rejected Khelif’s request for interim relief, meaning her competition ban remains in effect whilst the case proceeds. The dismissal ensures she will miss the World Boxing Championships scheduled for September, with a full hearing yet to be arranged as both parties exchange written submissions.
World Boxing introduced mandatory genetic testing protocols in May, requiring all athletes over 18 to complete polymerase chain reaction tests before competing. The organisation stated the policy would ensure participant safety and maintain competitive fairness across male and female categories, with testing determining eligibility through genetic screening procedures.
The governing body initially named Khelif specifically when announcing the new protocol but later issued an apology for this identification. World Boxing president, Boris van der Vorst, personally contacted the Algerian Boxing Federation to express regret, acknowledging that greater care should have been taken to avoid linking the policy announcement to any individual athlete.
Khelif claimed welterweight gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, competing under International Olympic Committee oversight after the International Boxing Association had previously declared her ineligible for their 2023 world championships. World Boxing received provisional Olympic recognition in February following the IBA’s expulsion from Olympic governance in 2023.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
