Males in female sports: The Imane Khelif affair, Paris Olympics, 2024
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| Lin Yu-Ting and Imane Khelif, Paris Olympics 2024. |
Contents
- Introduction
- Olympics chronology
- Fairness
- Conflict & confusion
- Comments
- Biological reality
- References
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1. Introduction
In 2023 two women boxers - Imane Khelif of Algeria and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan - failed blood sample-based DNA female sex eligibility tests carried out by the International Boxing Federation in association with the Women's Boxing World Championships then being held in New Delhi, India. Previous tests taken during the 2022 World Championships at Istanbul, Turkey, proved inconsistent for one of the boxers (Khelif). The 2023 DNA testing revealed the presence of XY chromosomes with both boxers and the determination that they possessed an unfair physical advantage in relation to their female, XX chromosome opponents. The DNA testing was an international scientific standard identifying males and had been applied in other sports, such as athletics. As a result, Khelif and Lin were disqualified from the World Championships after completing a number of rounds.
Immediately following the World Championships, and during 2023, the International Olympic Committee was informed of the sex test results and the bannings. Despite this, the two boxers were deemed by the IOC eligible to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics. The responsible boxing selection committee, which in this case was not the IBF but a committee of the IOC, had altered its rules in regard to the female boxing categories in that it ruled out the necessity or inclusion of any form of sex testing, as it considered this an invasion of privacy. This meant that women with XY chromosomes, and those with Disorder of Sex Development (DSD) or Intersex-related condition were deemed eligible to participate in women's sports, based primarily on information such as passport gender statements. This resulted in selections which ignored any physical advantage due to inherent biological sex arising out of male puberty and excess testosterone.
The decision to include Khelif and Lin in the Paris Olympics, despite the previous IBF determinations and bans, immediately raised public concern, comment and controversy, as the 2023 DNA test results meant that the two boxers had a distinct and unfair physical advantage over their female opponents. To many people, such as officials, fellow athletes, and members of the general public, it appeared that men were fighting women, and in a purely scientific and practical sense, this was true. It was also obvious to viewers of the Paris bouts that there was a difference between the two boxers and their opponents, though it was most visible in regards to the towering and muscular figure of Imane Khelif. It was therefore considered grossly unfair and inappropriate for the Olympic Committee to have condoned participation by the two banned athletes, to have refused to carry out any biological sex testing, and to have banned the IBF from revealing any detailed results of the previous tests. Calls were made to relevant sports authorities and the IOC to correct the situation and ensure that no athlete had an unfair physical advantage, whether that be due to the presence of XY chromosomes in the case of female athletes, and most especially those involved in hard contact sports, or through the use of performance enhancing drugs or transgender reassignment.
Both Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting went on to win gold medals in their specific female boxing categories at the Paris Olympics. Khelif subsequently initiated legal action against those who had raised criticism of the inclusion of the two boxers in the 2024 Games.
The BBC is lying: Olympic boxer is NOT a woman, Andrew Gold, YouTube, 8 June 2024, duration: 65.17 minutes. Interview with Dr. Emma Hilton, Development Biologist, University of Manchester.
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2. Chronology
The following chronology focusses on the post-2022 incidents dealing with the issue of DSD in sport, and specifically the case of the female boxing category at the Paris Olympics of 2024.
2017
* Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan begins competing as a boxer from 2017.
2018
* Imane Khelif of Algeria begins competing as a boxer from 2018.
2020
2022
* May 2022 - Blood-based DNA biological sex tests were performed on Khelif and Lin during the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Women’s World Boxing Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, between 8 - 20 May 2022. The tests were carried out by Sistem Tip Laboratuvari, Istanbul on 17 May and the results issued on 24 May. It has been noted by the IBF that the results were "inconsistent," and as a result a second set of testing was planned for the World Championships in 2023. This initial testing arose out of concerns raised by a number of parties, including the IBF medical team and ringside doctors. Lin Yu-Ting was apparently identified as biologically male according to the standard DNA chromosome test and presence of XY chromosomes. The results for Imane Khelif were inconclusive.
* The World Boxing Organisation (WBO) is made aware of the IBF sex test results for the two athletes.
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2023
* 15-26 March 2023 - World Women's Boxing Championships, New Delhi, India.
* 17 March - both Lin and Khelif were asked to take further blood-based DNA sex tests. Two tests were carried out over the following days. The results came through on 23 March and revealed the presence of XY chromosomes for both boxers. This made them ineligible according to the IBF rules. The boxers were informed of the results.
* 26 March - International Boxing Federation and its Board of Directors bans Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting from the New Delhi World Boxing championship competition due to the results of their second set of blood-based DNA biological sex tests, revealing the presence of XY (male) chromosomes. Neither boxer subsequently proceeded with any appeal against the findings, which therefore became binding.
* 14 April - Imane Khelif challenges the decision. This challenge is subsequently withdrawn on 27 July.
* post July 2023 - The IBF informs the International Olympic Committee by letter and personal meetings of the 2022 and 2023 results of the sex testing and the banning of the two athletes. The IOC determines to vary eligibility according to gender identification and not biological sex as scientifically proven. This would result in 'men' coming up against women during the forthcoming Olympic Games.
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2024
* Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting are deemed eligible to participate in the Paris Olympics due to a decision by the Organising Committee not to carry out any biological sex testing, thereby ignoring and overriding the findings of the WBO and IBF.
* July 2023 - the head of Boxing Italy protests to the IOC at the inclusion of Khelif and Lin in the Paris competition.
31 July, Wednesday
* International Boxing Federation, Statement made by the IBF regarding athletes disqualifications during the World Boxing Championships 2023, IBA News, 31 July 2024. Text:
As stated, the International Boxing Association (IBA) feels it appropriate at this prevalent time, to address recent media statements regarding those athletes Lin Yu-ting and Imane Khelif, particularly regarding their participation in the Paris Olympic Games 2024. We wish to make the following points in these regards:
On 24 March 2023, IBA disqualified athletes Lin Yu-ting and Imane Khelif from the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships New Delhi 2023. This disqualification was a result of their failure to meet the eligibility criteria for participating in the women’s competition, as set and laid out in the IBA Regulations. This decision, made after a meticulous review, was extremely important and necessary to uphold the level of fairness and utmost integrity of the competition.
Point to note, the athletes did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test, whereby the specifics remain confidential. This test conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors.
The decision made by IBA on 24 March 2023, was subsequently ratified by the IBA Board of Directors on 25 March 2023. The official record of this decision can be accessed on the IBA website here - IBA Board of Directors Meeting Minutes. The disqualification was based on two tests conducted on both athletes as follows:
- Test performed during the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Istanbul 2022.
- Test performed during the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi 2023.
Our Committees have rigorously reviewed and endorsed the decision made during the World Championships. While IBA remains committed to ensuring competitive fairness in all of our events, we express concern over the inconsistent application of eligibility criteria by other sporting organizations, including those overseeing the Olympic Games. The IOC’s differing regulations on these matters, in which IBA is not involved, raise serious questions about both competitive fairness and athletes’ safety. For clarification on why the IOC permits athletes with competitive advantages to compete in their events, we urge interested parties to seek answers directly from the IOC.
Yours sincerely, International Boxing Association.
1 August, Thursday
* Imane Khelif defeats Italian boxer Angela Carini in her first Paris Olympics fight - a second round bout. This immediately raises controversy around the world, with statements by prominent individuals such as Donald Trump, Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling.
2 August, Friday
* Florence Read, Are men boxing against women?, UnHerd, 2 August 2024, YouTube, duration: 25.47 minutes.
* Niamh Kirk, Fans hit back at JK Rowling over 'attack' on Imane Khelif 's gender amid Olympic row, Irish Mirror, 2 August 2024.
3 August, Saturday
* Lucy Middleton, What is DSD and what's the debate over athletes in the Olympics?, Context, 3 August 2024.
* Olympics 2024: Who is Imane Khelif, the boxer in midst of gender row? Doc says she has ‘no competitive edge’, The Economic Times, 3 August 2024.
* Bach defends Khelif and Lin competing in Olympics, BBC News, 3 August 2024.
5 August, Monday
* Female Boxer PROTESTS At Woke Olympics After Being DOMINATED By Male | Makes "XX" Sign After Loss!, Sports Wars, 5 August 2024, YouTube, duration: 4.07 minutes.
* Olympics 2024 Live: International Boxing Association holds press conference, Associated Press, YouTube, 5 August 2024, duration: 139 minutes. Opening comments by Chris Roberts OBE, Secretary General and CEO of the IBF.
* Olympic scandal broken down: XY athletes in female sports, Sky News Australia, 5 August 2024, YouTube, duration: 8.05 minutes.
8 August, Thursday
* Gender expert reveals truth about Imane Khelif's gender, Capturing Christianity, YouTube, 8 August 2024, duration: 60.31 minutes.
9 August, Friday
10 August, Saturday
* Paris 2024 boxing: All results, as People's Republic of China's Wu Yu wins gold in women’s 50kg.
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3. Reactions
* The truth about how easy it would be to keep biological women safe in sport, Megyn Kelly, YouTube, 16 August 2024, duration: 13.47 minutes. Interview with Ross Tucker of The Science of Sport.
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4. Fairness?
The Imane Khelif (b.1999) affair raises numerous issues of concern, including: (1) problems with the official spread of misinformation and disinformation in the post-COVID-19 media environment; (2) biases evident in news platforms, websites and social media such as YouTube, X and Wikipedia; (3) media manipulation by organisations such as the International Olympic Committee; and (4) problems around biological sex versus gender as a result of the transgender debate since the mid' 2010s
At the centre of this storm is Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer banned from the female boxing category at the 2023 World Boxing Championships, but allowed to participate in the equivalent category within the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Four elements were presented to the general public early in August 2024 which gave rise to confusion and vigorous debate over the status of the boxer, and a colleague from Taiwan, in regards to their eligibility. This debate reached a frenzy following Khelif's first bout against an Italian boxer. It subsequently flowed over into a bout between the Taiwanese Lin Yu-Ting and a Czech Republic boxer. The four specific elements of controversy raised during the 2024 media debate were:
1. Khelif is transgender. False. Khelif is not a male presenting as a female, or vice versa. This was an issue inappropriately and wrongly raised during the earliest stages of the debate. It was inflamed by the Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling's comments on X as follows:
Explain why you're OK with a man beating a woman in public for your entertainment. This isn't sport. From the bullying cheat in red all the way up to the organisers who allowed this to happen, this is men revelling in their power over women (Kirk 2024).
2. Khelif is a woman. True. Khelif was classified as a female at birth and has lived as a female since then. Khelif's passport therefore lists her as female, and she is accepted as female in her country of origin, Algeria.
3. Khelif is a male. True. According to International Boxing Federation statements in 2023, Khelif has XY chromosomes, which scientifically defines her biological sex as male. She also has high testosterone levels, which are typical of males. To the naked eye, her features appear male in many aspects. However, according to the Wikipedia entry for Khelif which was posted on 5 August 2024:
There is no evidence that Khelif has XY chromosomes or elevated levels of testosterone.
This statement is incorrect, as the International Boxing Federation provided the evidence during 2023 to the Paris Olympics Organising Committee.
4. Khelif has DSD (Disorder of Sex Development). True. This is a condition in which the development of sex organs (external and internal) at birth are not normal to the underlying biological sex (male or female). The following quote describes DSD and its role in the sports debate:
DSD is an umbrella term for a group of conditions where people's bodies chromosomes or hormones don't fit usual expectations of male or female. Around 1.7% of children are born with DSD, according to the United Nations. Some people with DSDs have female genitalia but have XY sex chromosomes and/or blood testosterone levels in the male range. That has led to debate around their inclusion in women's sport, with critics saying higher testosterone and other physical differences could give them an unfair advantage - and may be unsafe in the case of contact sports (Middleton 2024).
DSD is similar in ways to the Intersex issue in that it is physiological and seen as an atypical though natural event, as opposed to the transgender issue where the transformation or transitioning is artificially induced by chemical means.
DSD category 5ARD limits the dispersal of testosterone at birth and it is not until puberty that there is evidence of a more normal masculine development due to the release of the testosterone. Therefore, as a result of puberty, the male features of the individual can become more pronounced. This is especially obvious for Imane Khelif, and less so for Lin Yu-Ting.
In the legal case surrounding sprint athlete Caster Semenya it was concluded that such physiological variations as DSD 5ARD give rise to an unfair advantage to those women who have XY chromosomes, as against their female XX chromosome opponents. The court case surrounding Semenya and findings therein supported the subsequent action by the IBF and other sporting organisation in regard to the role of transgender and XY chromosome female-presenting athletes in women's sport. Such athletes have an unfair physical advantage and banning is the most appropriate method of dealing with the issue and ensuring that biologically female athletes are not discriminated against.
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5. Conflict and Confusion
The above four elements define the conflict and confusion around the Imane Khelif affair. For example, the International Boxing Federation in 2023 banned Khelif from participating in female boxing. In 2024 the Paris Olympics Organising Committee granted Khelif the right to participate in the female boxing competition. A confusion of opinion over the issue then arose with, for example, during 2024 an Indian endocrinologist suggested that DSD would not give rise to an unfair physical advantage (The Economic Times 2024). This was in opposition to the majority of scientific opinion on the matter and the precise applicability of the issue in the two cases under discussion. Some types of DSD do have little or no impact on biological sex determination and physical development. Others, such as 5ARD do, however. In this case, the opinion is evidence of the fact that it can be argued in the public sphere, through the inclusion or omission or distortion of scientific and other evidence, that either case is true. Only a detailed examination of the relevant specific facts can bring us closer to the truth.
On the surface, and when viewing the first bout between Khelif and an Italian female boxer, the public expressed outrage at what appeared to be an example of a male fighting a female. This initial outrage was followed by confusion when the four elements referred to above were presented. Despite this, it did not appear, and in fact was not the reality, that this was simply a case of two women fighting. The presence of DSD changed that simple dynamic into something that needed consideration in the fact that, as Middleton referred to, this was the case of two people engaged in a high level contact sport where the safety of the individuals participating in that sport was a real concern. Also of concern was the issue of fairness - one which is not easily defined in this instance, though one which naturally comes to mind for many members of the public considering the issue from afar. They also give rise to the controversy in regards to Khelif's role in sport. That controversy can be summarised as follows:
1. Khelif appears to be a female in a substantially male body. A determination of DSD supports such a statement. The 2023 determination of the International Boxing Federation also supported such as statement.
2. Khelif's participation in female boxing is not fair or appropriate. If Khelif's physical makeup is primarily male, with XY chromosomes and high testosterone levels typical of a male, then to participate in a high level contact sport such as boxing against females with XX chromosomes, high estrogen / low testosterone levels (typical of females), and low muscle mass, is not fair or appropriate. The determination of the International Boxing Federation supported such an assessment.
3. The initial Paris Olympics bout inflamed the controversy. The example of the bout between Khelif and the Italian female boxer, who stated that she withdrew from the bout after 46 seconds due to fear at the impact of Khelif's punches upon her body, supports the concerns and determination expressed by the International Boxing Federation and members of the wider community.
As stated at the outset, the Khelif affair is not a simple matter, or a transgender issue. Neither is it solitary, for there was a second XY chromosome boxer in the Paris Olympics female boxing competition - Lin Yu-Ting - who had followed the same path as Khelif and experienced the same bans imposed by the International Boxing Federation in 2023.
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6. Comments
In summary, the Khelif affair raises the ongoing issue of sex versus gender, one which has dogged the transgender debate for a decade. If sex is to be defined scientifically - which the gender prioritisation supporters do not agree with - then the science of sex and gender needs to be clearly determined and applied in situations such as those concerning athletes such as Imane Khelif. The public needs to be assured that science can be applied in such circumstances to ensure fairness. If it cannot be applied, then the status of competition in events such as the Olympics is diminished. Where DSD and transgender issues result in unfair competition, the public will make an assessment on what they see - and believe - as was the case with the Imane Khelif initial Paris Olympics bout. That assessment may be wrong and discriminatory, or it may be correct. It is up to the official bodies to get it right, and in the opinion of the present writer, to get the science right in order to ensure fairness in sport. To have transgender males participating in female swimming, or weightlifting, and displaying an obvious unfair physical advantage is not acceptable. The same could be said to apply to those with DSD where there is a scientifically provable physical advantage over the opposite sex.
This is a contentious issue, as it appears on the surface to be discriminatory. However, there is often, in such instances, a number of levels of discrimination, not simply one. As a result, hard decisions need to be made in which one form of discrimination may be deemed acceptable over another, or many others.
The Khelif affair controversy does not stand alone. It comes after almost a decade of public concern over such issues in female sport and is often the result of lack of differentiation between biological sex and perceptions of gender. It is unfortunate that in August 2024 such confusion should arise and become subject to public discourse wherein facts and fairness are the subjects of confusion, with no simple solutions offered. To simply say in the present case that Imane Khelif is a woman, therefore there is no issue, does not resolve the issue. This is especially the case if DSD gives rise to a physical abnormality whereby a person deemed a woman from birth is subject to a natural (i.e. not chemically induced) physical advantage over other women. Resolution of such an issue is problematic, both personally and professionally.
Scientific tests have revealed that, on average, the male punch is 160% greater than the female punch (Read 2024).
As a closing comment, it would seem that responsibility for this issue rests equally with the individual athlete and the sporting body controlling the specific sport. If an individual has DSD, or suspects they have DSD, and they are seeking to engage in professional sport, then they are morally and ethically obliged to investigate the extent of their DSD and make a determination based on their findings as to whether they should proceed with their sporting dreams or not. If those findings reveal DSD, but in a form that does not give them a male physical advantage, then they can inform the relevant sporting body and seek inclusion. If however,, their DSD is 5ARD and they are possessed on the male physical advantage over women, then the decision should be to remove themselves from that sport, at least at the professional level or, in the case of contact sports such as boxing, at every level where there is the possibility of causing realm physical harm to their opponents. This would obviously be a hard decision, though it is ultimately the right decision to make. If the athlete is unaware of their condition and true biological sex, and they are subject by official sporting bodies to sex testing based on DNA analysis, then they should adhere to the findings of those tests. It would appear that in the present case of Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting neither of those paths have been followed. The IBF may know the full extent of the DSD for both boxers, and this may have been the reason they took to decision to ban them from the sport. Whilst privacy is an important issue in this matter, the responsibility still rests upon both parties - athlete and organisation - to make the correct decision and protect women in their relevant sport. Not to do so is totally unacceptable.
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7. Biological reality
The issues raised above hinge around a physical reality, namely, the complexities of individual biological sex and how that impacts upon an individual in their life. The facts are that biological sex, whilst at its core binary (i.e. male or female, XY or XX chromosomes) also has an infinite variety inbetween as it occurs in the real world. This variety is often labelled Intersex, though within that is a great amount of physical, biological variation. This is clearly outlined in the following interview with Eden Atwood, which also brings into the discussion aspects of the LGBTI+ and Transgender issues.
* Interthoughts: Interview with Eden Atwood, Part 1, Part 2, sexploitations, 4 July 2013, YouTube, duration: 4.51 + 8.29 minutes.
The following are various videos which discuss Intersex issues and the biological complexity therein. The issue of the role of such individuals in sport, as highlighted by the Imane Khelif affair, remains largely as discussed above, with the subjective element of fairness unchanged, at least in the mind of the present writer.
* Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome - The case of Eden Atwood, ABC Good Morning, 23 May 2009, YouTube, duration: 4.12 minutes.
* Biology of DSDs (5) - Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome, Paradox Institute, 1 December 2020, YouTube, duration: 7.08 minutes.
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8. References
Bach defends Khelif and Lin competing in Olympics, BBC News, 3 August 2024.
Development of Sex Disorder, Wikipedia, accessed 5 August 2024.
Differences in sex development, National Health Service NHS, United Kingdom, 16 March 2023.
Female Boxer PROTESTS At Woke Olympics After Being DOMINATED By Male | Makes "XX" Sign After Loss!, Sports Wars, 5 August 2024, YouTube, duration: 4.07 minutes.
Gender expert reveals truth about Imane Khelif's gender, Capturing Christianity, YouTube, 8 August 2024, duration: 60.31 minutes.
Imane Khelif, Wikipedia, accessed 5 August 2024.
Middleton, Lucy, What is DSD and what's the debate over athletes in the Olympics?, Context, 3 August 2024.
Olympic scandal broken down: XY athletes in female sports, Sky News Australia, 5 August 2024, YouTube, duration: 8.05 minutes.
Olympics 2024: Who is Imane Khelif, the boxer in midst of gender row? Doc says she has ‘no competitive edge’, The Economic Times, 3 August 2024.
Olympics 2024 Live: International Boxing Association holds press conference, Associated Press, YouTube, 5 August 2024, duration: 139 minutes.
The BBC is lying: Olympic boxer is NOT a womanAndrew Gold, YouTube, 8 June 2024, duration: 65.17 minutes.
Tucker, Ross, The truth about how easy it would be to keep biological women safe in sport, Megyn Kelly, YouTube, 16 August 2024, duration: 13.47 minutes.
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Last updated: 20 August 2024
Michael Organ, Australia
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