Olympics Boxing Gender Testing Controversy: Imane Khelif's Case and the Debate on Gender Eligibility

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• Background: the controversy
• Gender eligibility: a contentious issue in women’s sports
• Steps taken by sports federations deal with this matter

Why in News?

Imane Khelif, a 25-year-old welterweight from Algeria, qualified for the quarterfinals of the Olympic women's boxing tournament by dismantling Italy's Angela Carini in the round of 16. Their fight lasted just 46 seconds.

Since her victory, Khelif has been the target of a wave of abuse, with many calling her a “biological man” who had an “unfair advantage” over Carini. Some people also wrongly identified Khelif as a transgender woman.

The participation of trans women, and women having certain “masculine” biological characteristics like higher testosterone levels, in women’s sports has long been a subject of polarising debate.

Background: the controversy

• Boxers failed gender eligibility test conducted by International Boxing Association (IBA)
  • In 2023, Imane Khelif and Chinese Taipei boxer Lin Yu-ting were banned from competing in the IBA’s World Championship in New Delhi after failing a confidential "gender eligibility" test.
  • The IBA stated that the boxers did not meet the criteria to compete in the female category.
• Both boxers are competing in Paris Olympics
  • Both boxers are now competing at the Paris Olympics, as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) derecognized the IBA over governance and financial issues.
  • The IOC-appointed unit governing the competition in Paris only requires the gender stated in an athlete’s passport for eligibility, and Khelif’s passport identifies her as female.
• Response by IOC
  • Following Khelif’s win and the subsequent abuse, the IOC stated that all Olympic boxers complied with eligibility and entry regulations.
  • It noted that both Khelif and Lin have competed in women’s competitions for many years, including the Tokyo 2020 Games.
  • The IOC also criticized the IBA's decision to ban the two women as arbitrary and not following proper procedure.

Gender eligibility: a contentious issue in women’s sports

• Organization of sports based on sex
  • Modern sports are organized on the basis of sex, with men and women competing in different categories.
  • This is because men, on average, have certain physiological advantages over women.
• Sex is determined based on chromosomes
  • Sex is determined based on chromosomes, which carry genes. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes — 22 are identical in men and women; one, the sex chromosome, is different.
  • The XX sex chromosomes result in the development of female sex organs, and XY in male sex organs.
  • The SRY gene, found on the Y chromosome, is responsible for the production of testosterone.
• Link between testosterone and athletic performance
  • Many studies have supported the link between testosterone and athletic performance.
  • As per them, the difference in circulating testosterone between adults likely explains most, if not all, sex differences in sporting performance due to testosterone's effects on muscle mass, strength, bone size, strength (density), and circulating hemoglobin.
• However, other studies note that data on this matter is currently inadequate.
• DSD and Swyer syndrome
  • Some people born with female reproductive organs may also carry the XY chromosome, in what is known as Swyer syndrome.
• This syndrome is one of many “Disorders of Sex Development”, or DSDs.
• Swyer syndrome, also known as 46 XY gonadal dysgenesis, is a rare genetic condition where individuals have one X and one Y chromosome in each cell (typically associated with males) but develop female reproductive structures.
• People with Swyer syndrome are genetically male but phenotypically female, meaning they have a female appearance and female external genitalia.
  • This is at the heart of the debate surrounding gender eligibility in women’s sports.
  • Many argue that in order to prevent some athletes from having an unfair advantage in women’s sports, women with DSDs must not be allowed to compete with other women.
• They claim that DSDs facilitate greater testosterone production, and other consequent athletic advantages.

Steps taken by sports federations deal with this matter

• Sports federations have their own eligibility criteria
  • In 2021, the IOC decided to allow international sports federations to develop their own eligibility rules based on an “evidence-based approach” considering principles of “fairness”, “inclusion”, “non-discrimination”, “no presumption of advantage”, and “prevention of harm.”
  • Previously, the IOC required women athletes who had transitioned from male to female to have testosterone levels below 10 nanomoles per litre (nmol/L).
  • World Athletics still uses testosterone levels as an eligibility criterion, requiring DSD athletes to maintain levels below 2.5 nmol/L for at least 24 months before competing.
• This is stricter than the pre-2023 requirement of 5 nmol/L for events ranging from 400 meters to a mile, with no restrictions on other events.
  • FINA, the world swimming body, the International Cycling Union, and the International Rugby Union have all implemented varying degrees of bans on trans women athletes.
• Debate goes on
  • There is still much unknown about the impact of testosterone on sporting performance.
  • Many question whether women born with higher levels of testosterone have any different advantage compared to people with other genetic advantages, such as LeBron James' height or Michael Phelps' large, fin-like hands.

Q.1. What is International Boxing Association (IBA)?

The International Boxing Association (IBA) is the global governing body for amateur boxing, responsible for overseeing international competitions, setting rules, and ensuring fair play. It organizes major tournaments like the World Championships and the Olympic boxing events. IBA also develops and enforces standards for the sport globally.

Q.2. What is Swyer syndrome?

Swyer syndrome, or 46 XY gonadal dysgenesis, is a rare genetic condition where individuals have XY chromosomes typically associated with males but develop female reproductive structures. People with Swyer syndrome appear female and have female external genitalia but lack functional ovaries or testes, impacting sexual development.

Source: Explained: The gender issue in the Imane Khelif vs Angela Carini boxing match controversy | NBC New York | Today