Imane Khelif faced accusations of being a male athlete during her appearance at the 2024 Olympic Games, which raised a lot of concern about the safety of women in boxing. Well, new information just came out, with Imane’s lab results from 2023 being leaked. They state that Imane possesses XY chromosomes, which hints at the true biological sex.
As per data obtained by 3 Wire Sports, Imane Khelif took a biological sex test prior to the 2023 World Boxing Championships in India. The results showed the presence of the Y chromosome, which is usually found in males. Consequently, Imane was not allowed to compete. The test was reportedly taken at Dr. Lal PathLabs, which is accredited by the College of American Pathologists and certified by the International Organization for Standardization.
The leaked lab results show a presence of the XY chromosome, which is found in biological males. So, it once again brought up the case of Imane Khelif, who was allowed to continue competing at the Olympic Games even after the claims were made. The IOC was reportedly given access to the lab results but proceeded to make the decision after analyzing them.
Imane Khelif faced scrutiny at the 2024 Olympic Games after beating another boxer in less than one minute. The Italian boxer, Angela Carini, abandoned the match, stating that she had “never taken a punch like that”. She also accused Imane of being a man and having an unfair advantage.
After beating Angela Carini, Imane Khelif proceeded to make it to the finals. There, Imane managed to secure another win and become the 66-kg (welterweight) Women’s Olympic Champion. Imane has not competed since.
“I am a woman like any other woman. I was born a woman, I have lived as a woman, I compete as a woman,” stated Imane Khelif.
Imane Khelif was not the only boxer to face controversy during the boxing portion of the 2024 Olympic Games. The other athlete involved in the situation was Lin Yu-Ting, who faced the same allegations and also ended up becoming an Olympic champion.
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Following all of the claims made about potential male athletes taking part in women’s boxing, the ‘World Boxing’ organization has decided to implement mandatory sex testing. So, it will determine if an athlete has the presence of the Y chromosome before allowing them to compete in the women’s division.
On the other hand, Imane Khelif has not yet gone through any biological sex tests or at least hasn’t shared any results with the public. So, as of now, the recent leaks remain the only source. It remains to be seen how the sanctioning federations grapple with the situation regarding Khelif and others similar to her. But there is no doubt that the outcome, whatever it may be, will shape the future of representation in professional boxing.
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