Olympic Boxing

Stuff reports:

Imane Khelif of Algeria won her opening Olympic boxing bout when opponent Angela Carini of Italy quit after just 46 seconds.

Khelif was disqualified from the 2023 world championships after failing an unspecified gender eligibility test, and her presence at the Paris Olympics has become a divisive issue.

I feel very sorry for both boxers.

First of all it is important to clarify that Khelif has not transitioned in any way. She was designated female at birth, has been raised as a girl and a woman. One can debate the decision of the IOC, without criticising her – she has done nothing wrong.

It is not clear what the details are of the 2023 gender eligibility test, but one official says she has Y chromosomes and elevated testosterone. It appears likely she may be intersexual which means she has both female and male characteristics, as do around 1 in 2000 people. She may not have even been aware she was intersexual (if she is) until the 2023 test. There’s a lot we don’t know.

So Khelif has done nothing wrong, and just wants to compete. She has never identified as male, and it is unclear if she could even do so, as it is illegal to transition in Algeria. But if Khelif does have Y chromosomes and elevated testosterone, it does provide her with a significant biological advantage over women who do not. And in some sports such as archery that may not raise issues of safety, but in boxing it does. Hard to fault Carini for not carrying on, as she was facing an opponent who might be able to hit her harder than any woman who doesn’t have elevated testosterone and a Y chromosome. Her safety is a real issue.

The blame should probably got towards the IOC for not ensuring their eligibility guidelines were up to date with the latest science, and putting both Khelif and Carina in this situation.

The long-term solution might be to have an open category.