Five French women boxers barred from world championships after missing deadline for new mandatory sex tests introduced post-Paris Olympics.
Tournament Starts Without French Contenders
The world championships in Liverpool, England, opened Thursday without five French women boxers after complications surrounding new mandatory sex testing prevented them from competing. The ruling has sparked anger within France’s boxing federation and reignited debate over athlete privacy.
Details of the New Policy
World Boxing announced on May 30 that female athletes must undergo genetic testing — including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or equivalent screenings — to confirm sex at birth. The regulation followed the controversy at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting faced widespread scrutiny over eligibility despite winning gold medals.
Reaction From France
The French federation expressed “astonishment and indignation” at the exclusion, citing that national law prohibits such testing in sports due to privacy protections. Officials said they were assured results would arrive within 24 hours but were not delivered in time to register their boxers.
Athletes Affected
The five sidelined competitors are Romane Moulai, Wassila Lkhadiri, Melissa Bounoua, Sthelyne Grosy, and Maelys Richol. Richol shared a message from former federation leadership candidate Estelle Mossely on Instagram, calling for resignations over the mishandling of the process.
Governing Body’s Position
World Boxing stated that responsibility for completing testing lies with national federations, which it argued are best positioned to oversee athletes. “It is very disappointing for the boxers that some national federations have not been able to complete this process in time,” the organization said in a statement.
Wider Implications and Ongoing Appeal
Khelif, at the centre of last year’s Olympic debate, is also absent from Liverpool after the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected her request for an urgent ruling against the testing mandate. The dispute underscores growing tensions between governing bodies enforcing eligibility rules and federations challenging them on ethical and legal grounds.
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