Algerian Boxer Khelif Challenges Gender Test at Sports Court

LAUSANNE: Algerian Olympic champion Imane Khelif, who was at the centre of controversy during the 2024 Paris Games, has lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against World Boxing’s decision to impose mandatory gender testing.

CAS confirmed on Monday that Khelif is challenging the ruling which bars her from competing in future events without undergoing a genetic test. She had requested a suspension of the decision, but the sports court dismissed her plea, leaving her unlikely to compete in this week’s world championships in Liverpool.

Khelif, along with Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting, faced widespread criticism and online abuse over their eligibility during the Paris Olympics. Both won gold medals, with Khelif’s opening bout sparking heated debate among commentators including US Vice President JD Vance and author JK Rowling.

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World Boxing introduced gender testing in May, reviving a practice abandoned by the Olympics in 1996, but later apologised for naming Khelif in its statement. The International Olympic Committee has since promised to establish a gender working group to study the issue.

Khelif, 26, recently denied reports that she was retiring, accusing her former manager of spreading false claims. “The reports of my retirement are false,” she said, adding that the official “no longer represents me in any way.”