World Boxing has issued an apology to Olympic welterweight champion Imane Khelif after controversially naming her in their new mandatory sex testing policy.
The governing body initially stated Khelif would be barred from competition until undergoing the test, despite her winning gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics amidst previous gender eligibility questions.
World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst acknowledged that Khelif’s “privacy should have been protected.”
The new policy, requiring a PCR genetic test for all athletes over 18, aims to ensure fair play and safety.
Khelif has always competed as a woman, and the IOC previously cleared her to compete in Paris based on her passport.
The IOC maintains that eligibility criteria are the responsibility of individual federations and awaits full details of World Boxing’s implementation.
