Iman Khelif and Lin Yuting won gold medals at the 2024 Olympics but have sparked controversy over gender eligibility; Khelif has withdrawn from the world championships in Liverpool in September, while Yuting plans to compete.
Pictured: Imane Khelif and Lin Yuting, last year's Olympic champions.
Imane Khelif will miss the upcoming world championships, but Lin Yu-ting, another boxer embroiled in last year's Olympic gender debate, is set to enter the ring.
Khelif has not submitted a bid for next month's tournament in Liverpool and Algeria will send a reserve welterweight in place of the reigning Olympic champion.
However, Yu-ting, who won the featherweight title at the 2024 Paris Olympics, intends to compete for Taiwan at the world championships from September 4 to 14.
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This week, World Boxing's governing body revealed that female competitors will be required to undergo gender testing as part of a new eligibility policy.
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Sky Sports News senior correspondent Geraint Hughes explains why World Boxing is introducing mandatory sex testing.
“Lin Yu-ting has just returned from training in Korea and we are awaiting notification from the Taiwan National Boxing Federation about the details of the arrangements ahead of the 2025 World Boxing Championships,” her coach Tseng Tzu-chiang told Reuters.
She is not going to withdraw from the competition because of new gender tests. We will provide the requested documentation according to the standard regulations.
Khelif and Yu-ting were banned from the 2023 International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships for allegedly failing to adhere to gender norms. However, the IBA, the previous governing body of world boxing, was stripped of Olympic recognition over issues with judging and transparency.
Both Khelif and Yu-ting have received permission from the International Olympic Committee to compete in the 2024 Games. They won the welterweight and featherweight titles, respectively.
In the photo: Khelif has not fought since the Olympics.
Under the updated World Boxing rules, female boxers must undergo genetic screening using PCR (polymerase chain reaction) or a medical equivalent to confirm that they meet the category requirements.
Tests are performed using swabs from the nose/mouth, saliva or blood.
Participants assigned male at birth (as determined by the Y-chromosome genetic marker SRY) or who have differences in sexual development (DSD) with male androgenization will compete in the male category.
World Boxing CEO Boris van der Vorst said: “The organisation values the dignity of everyone and strives for maximum inclusion. However, in a contact sport like boxing, we have a responsibility to ensure safety and fair play – key principles that underpin the development of this policy.”
In the photo: Khelif's champion joy
Indeed, Khelif has not stepped into the ring since last year's Games. Olympic champions often take a long break to consider the future of their careers, including professional boxing.
The 26-year-old athlete has repeatedly emphasized that she has been a woman since birth, and in March she announced that she would defend her title at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
On Wednesday, she denied a former manager's report that she was ending her career.
“The statement comes from a man who no longer represents me and who I believe has betrayed my trust and my country with false accusations,” she wrote.
“I have not announced my retirement from boxing. I am committed to my sporting trajectory, I train constantly, I keep fit in Algeria and Qatar and I am preparing for the upcoming starts.”
Sourse: skysports.com
