Olympic boxing gold medalist Imane Khelif has appealed a World Boxing decision that bars her from upcoming competitions unless she undergoes genetic sex testing, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said Monday.
Khelif filed the appeal last month while aiming to compete in the World Boxing Championships starting Thursday. CAS also said it rejected her request to suspend the World Boxing ruling until the case is heard.
The Algerian boxer won gold at the Paris Olympics last year amid scrutiny over eligibility rules, alongside Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting. Both were previously disqualified by the former International Boxing Association over unspecified tests. After years of controversy, the IOC ran Olympic boxing, applying prior sex eligibility standards that allowed Khelif and Lin to compete.
World Boxing, approved as the 2028 Olympic organizer, introduced mandatory sex testing in May, specifically naming Khelif, though it later apologized. Khelif intends to defend her welterweight gold at the Los Angeles Games, while new IOC president Kirsty Coventry has launched a task force on gender eligibility.