Olympic champion boxer Imane Khelif has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in an effort to challenge a World Boxing rule that bars her from competing unless she undergoes genetic sex testing. The appeal, filed last month, was confirmed by CAS on Monday, though the court dismissed a request to suspend the World Boxing decision and allow Khelif to compete in the World Championships.
The appeal stems from an ongoing controversy that has followed Khelif since her gold medal win at the Paris Olympics last year. Khelif and Chinese Taipei's Lin Yu-ting were previously disqualified from the 2023 world championships by the now-disbanded International Boxing Association (IBA) after failing unspecified eligibility tests. However, the IOC, which ran the Olympic boxing tournament, used different standards that allowed both fighters to compete and win gold medals.
World Boxing has since been provisionally approved as the governing body for boxing at the 2028 Los Angeles Games and has introduced its own mandatory sex testing for all athletes. The organization drew criticism when it specifically mentioned Khelif in its policy announcement, for which it later apologized. The new rule is what Khelif is now contesting.
The Algerian boxer has remained firm in her stance and future plans. In a recent Facebook post, she rejected rumors that she was retiring from the sport, stating, "I would like to make it clear to the public that the reports of my retirement from boxing are false." She went on to say that she plans to defend her welterweight gold medal at the Los Angeles Games.
Khelif's appeal highlights the growing pressure on sports federations to establish clear and fair gender eligibility standards. The new IOC president, Kirsty Coventry, has initiated a task force to examine gender eligibility issues, indicating that Khelif's case is part of a wider debate in global sports.
