The sex verification results of Imane Khelif from the 2023 World Championships have been publicly released for the first time, suggesting that the boxer is biologically male.
Just 36 hours after World Boxing announced that Khelif, a highly controversial Olympic champion in women’s boxing at last summer’s Paris Games, would be required to undergo sex testing to compete in future female events, this pivotal document was made public.
Alan Abrahamson, an American journalist who previously exposed in Paris that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had been warned over a year earlier that Khelif’s DNA indicated male characteristics, obtained the results of a test performed in New Delhi in March 2023. This led to the boxer’s disqualification from that year’s championships.
The document, published on the 3 Wire Sports website, describes Khelif’s results as “abnormal,” stating: “Chromosome analysis reveals male karyotype.” A karyotype displays a person’s complete set of chromosomes, and in Khelif’s case, it was identified as XY—the typical male pattern.
The report bears the letterhead of Dr Lal Path Labs in New Delhi, an accredited laboratory recognized by the American College of Pathologists and certified by the Swiss-based International Organisation for Standardisation. This directly contradicts IOC spokesperson Mark Adams’ previous dismissals, where he labeled the results as “ad hoc” and “not legitimate” during a tense press conference at the Paris Olympics.
IOC President Thomas Bach has gone further, claiming that the results are part of a Russian-led misinformation campaign. Earlier this year, he noted that the International Boxing Association (IBA), led by Russia’s Umar Kremlev, had been stripped of IOC recognition over ethical and financial issues. The official validation of the Indian lab’s findings intensifies pressure on the IOC to justify its rejection of the results.
The implications for Khelif’s future are significant. Despite her outward defiance and a vow to win a second Olympic gold in Los Angeles 2028, World Boxing has declared her ineligible for future women’s competitions until she undergoes the same chromosome testing that disqualified her at the global level.
The organization, which is set to oversee boxing at the LA Olympics, has mandated that all athletes over 18 undergo a PCR genetic test to verify sex. This test, which can be conducted via saliva, blood, or a mouth swab, detects chromosomal material. Khelif, who competed in Paris under a female passport, has yet to provide any evidence of having XX chromosomes in the nine months since the controversy erupted.
Imane Khelif
Khelif has remained outspoken after her Olympic victory—ITV
World Boxing’s tougher stance comes amid widespread outrage sparked by the Paris Games, where Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting both won gold medals despite being previously banned by the IBA for lacking XX chromosomes. Opponent Angela Carini, Khelif’s first opponent, recounted being punched so forcefully she feared for her life.
Mexico’s Brianda Tamara Cruz, who fought Khelif in 2022, described feeling a level of power she had never experienced before, even in sparring with men. Latin American federations played a crucial role in persuading World Boxing to prioritize biological sex verification to ensure fairness and safety for female athletes.
In correspondence obtained by Telegraph Sport, the Honduran federation stressed that “necessary measures should be taken so that only women by birth can compete in women’s competitions,” while Peruvian officials also emphasized the importance of “protecting women” in the sport.