Imane Khelif Gender Test Controversy: Facts & Science

Few moments in sports create a divide as sharp as the one that split the boxing world in 2023: a blood test, a disqualification, and an athlete at the center of a global debate about gender. Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer who rose to Olympic gold in 2024, remains a focal point of controversy over eligibility rules and medical privacy. This article cuts through the noise, laying out the verified facts on her test results, the scientific terms like XY chromosomes and DSD, and how the rules of the International Boxing Association clashed with those of the International Olympic Committee. By the end, you will have a clear picture of what is known, what remains secret, and what is at stake for Khelif’s career.

Olympic Gold Medal: 2024 Women’s Welterweight ·
Date of Birth: 2 May 1999 ·
IBA Disqualification: 2023 World Championships – No Contest due to failed blood test ·
Appeal Filed: 2025

The table below compiles biographical facts about the athlete at the center of the dispute.

Does Imane Khelif have male chromosomes?

What are XY chromosomes?

• Humans typically have 46 chromosomes in 23 pairs. The 23rd pair determines sex: XX in females, XY in males (BBC Sport (editorial news source)).
• IBA regulations defined women as individuals with XX chromosomes and men as those with XY (BBC Sport).
• Having XY chromosomes does not always mean a person is male due to conditions like Differences of Sex Development (DSD) (ABC News 4 (regional news outlet)).

How were the test results obtained?

The IBA stated that it disqualified Khelif from the 2023 Women’s World Boxing Championships after a blood test indicated the presence of XY chromosomes (IBA (governing body statement)). IBA President Umar Kremlev later told reporters that DNA test results showed two athletes had XY chromosomes (NBC New York (major U.S. news affiliate)). The test results themselves were never published, and the full methodology remains undisclosed.

What does having XY chromosomes mean for an athlete?

The IOC reviewed Khelif’s case and stated she was eligible for the 2024 Olympics based on her birth certificate, passport, and history as a female boxer (BBC Sport). The IOC explicitly said this was not a transgender case (BBC Sport). The implication: having XY chromosomes does not automatically disqualify an athlete under all governing bodies’ rules — the key is the specific eligibility criteria and the athlete’s documented life history.

What were Imane Khelif’s gender test results?

The IBA test in 2023

The IBA publicly stated its letter to the IOC regarding the two athletes was sent and acknowledged (IBA). Khelif was disqualified shortly before a gold-medal bout at the 2023 World Championships in New Delhi (The New York Times (major U.S. newspaper)). The test was a blood-based analysis, but no specific hormone levels or genetic markers beyond XY were publicly confirmed.

The IOC stance

The IOC permitted Khelif to compete in the 2024 Olympics despite the IBA’s findings (The New York Times). Olympic officials defended her eligibility, stating she was eligible based on official documentation and personal history (The New York Times). Khelif went on to win the women’s welterweight gold medal, defeating all opponents in her path.

Khelif’s response

In a February 2026 exclusive interview with CNN, Khelif stated she was a political target and reaffirmed her identity as a woman (BBC Sport). She has not publicly disclosed any specific medical diagnosis, nor is she legally required to do so under medical privacy protections.

The pattern: the IBA’s test produced a disqualification, the IOC dismissed it as insufficient, and Khelif kept fighting. The result is a regulatory standoff with no single arbiter.

Does Imane Khelif have the SRY gene?

What is the SRY gene?

The SRY gene (sex-determining region Y) is located on the Y chromosome and triggers male sexual development (ABC News 4). In typical male development, the SRY gene leads to the formation of testes and production of testosterone. If a person has XY chromosomes but the SRY gene is missing or non-functional, they may develop as female — a condition known as Swyer syndrome, a type of DSD.

SRY gene and DSD

Many individuals with XY chromosomes and a female phenotype have a DSD, which can be caused by an absent or mutated SRY gene, or by conditions like Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS) where the body does not respond to androgens (ABC News 4). In these cases, the person has XY chromosomes but female anatomy and often do not know about their karyotype until tested.

Was SRY found in Khelif’s tests?

There is no official confirmation that the SRY gene was specifically tested or found in Khelif (NBC New York). The IBA’s public statements reference XY chromosomes but do not specify which genes on the Y chromosome were present or absent. Without a publicly released detailed genetic report, the SRY status remains a matter of speculation.

The trade-off: genetic testing can reveal SRY gene presence or absence, but without that data, the scientific community and the public are left with incomplete information about the underlying biology of Khelif’s case.

Did Imane Khelif fail a gender test?

Definition of failing a gender test

There is no universal “gender test” in sports. Each governing body sets its own eligibility criteria. The IBA defined failure as having XY chromosomes in a female competition (BBC Sport). The IOC did not recognize that definition, instead focusing on birth assignment and lived experience.

IBA’s determination

The IBA considered the blood test result as a failure under its rules and disqualified Khelif, recording the result as “No Contest” (IBA). The IBA also sent a letter to the IOC regarding the two athletes, which the IOC acknowledged but did not act upon (IBA).

The difference between IBA and IOC rules

The IOC does not require athletes to undergo sex testing. Its framework relies on legal gender, passport documentation, and the athlete’s history of participation. The IBA, by contrast, introduced mandatory testing based on chromosomal criteria (BBC Sport). The two systems are fundamentally incompatible, creating the very controversy that surrounds Khelif.

Does Imane Khelif have DSD?

What is DSD?

DSD stands for Differences of Sex Development — a group of conditions where the development of chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomical sex is atypical (ABC News 4). DSD covers dozens of specific diagnoses, including Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS), Swyer syndrome, and 5-alpha-reductase deficiency. Many DSD conditions involve XY chromosomes with a female external phenotype.

Possible DSD conditions

If Khelif’s XY chromosomes are verified, it suggests a DSD condition is present. The most common possibilities include CAIS (where the body is insensitive to androgens and develops as female) or Swyer syndrome (where the SRY gene is absent or non-functional). Both result in female anatomy and identity, with a typical female upbringing (ABC News 4).

Khelif’s medical privacy

Neither Khelif nor any official body has confirmed a specific DSD diagnosis (NBC New York). Medical privacy laws in most countries protect her from being required to disclose such information publicly. The IBA’s public statements about the test results have been characterized by some as a breach of confidentiality.

The upshot: the public knows Khelif has XY chromosomes, but that is only one piece of the puzzle. The full clinical picture — including which DSD, if any — remains private.

Timeline

• 2 May 1999: Imane Khelif born in Algeria.
• 2023: Disqualified from IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships after blood test; result listed as No Contest (IBA).
• 2024: Won women’s welterweight gold medal at Paris Olympics (The New York Times).
• 2025: Appeal filed to overturn World Boxing decision blocking participation in Box Cup (BBC Sport).
• February 2026: CNN exclusive interview where Khelif discusses political targeting (BBC Sport).

Summary: what is confirmed and what remains unclear

Expert quotes and perspectives

I am a woman. I was born a woman, I live as a woman, and I compete as a woman. This whole thing has been orchestrated to target me politically.

— Imane Khelif, via CNN exclusive interview, February 2026 (BBC Sport)

The athlete is not transgender. She was born female, registered female, lived her life as a female, boxed as a female, and has a female passport.

— IOC spokesperson, as reported by BBC Sport

The weight of this controversy falls on a single question: whose rules will govern women’s boxing? For Khelif, the answer determines whether she can continue her career after an Olympic gold medal still fresh in the fight. For World Boxing and the IOC, the answer defines whether the sport can maintain a coherent eligibility framework across different competitions.

Frequently asked questions