Boxing

World Boxing Issues 'Sincere' Apology To Imane Khelif Amid Controversy

The controversy surrounding Olympic champion boxer Imane Khelif took another interesting turn.
Grant Young|
IMAGO / Newscom World

Perhaps the biggest story in all of boxing last year was how Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was handled at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Khelif won an Olympic gold medal at the Paris Games last summer, despite being subject to intense scrutiny regarding her eligibility. This was owed to a narrative around whether Khelif's high testosterone levels made it fair for her to compete against women.

Ultimately, Khelif was defended by the IOC (International Olympic Committee), who went on to let her compete in the Olympic Games. While this story simmered down since the Olympics ended, discussion has begun once again over the past week, largely because World Boxing mandated that athletes 18 and older are subject to undergo genetic testing (which will require a cheek swab) if they want to compete in women’s boxing events, starting as soon as this month.

When World Boxing released this new policy on May 30, Khelif was specifically mentioned. This prompted backlash from those who felt this direct reference wasn't warranted. And on June 3, World Boxing's president, Boris van der Vorst, issued an apology about this decision.

"I am writing to you all personally to offer a formal and sincere apology for this and acknowledge that her privacy should have been protected," he wrote in a letter seen by The Associated Press, per an article from ESPN. This apology was directed to the Algerian Boxing Federation.

He later added that he hoped by "reaching out to you personally we show our true respect to you and your athletes."

MORE: Leaked Medical Report Pours Gasoline On Imane Khelif Boxing Controversy

Khelif has already made it clear that she intends to defend her gold medal during the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California.

While the protocol regarding this new testing has been made clear, Khelif still hasn't been subjected to it yet, so there's no way of knowing how the result will be handled.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young is a Staff Writer for On SI’s Boxing, New York Mets, Indiana Fever, and Women’s Fastbreak sites. Before joining SI in 2024, he wrote for various boxing and sports verticals such as FanBuzz and NY Fights. Young has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in creative writing with an emphasis on sports nonfiction from the University of San Francisco, where he played five seasons of Division 1 baseball. He fought Muay Thai professionally in Thailand in 2023, loves a good essay, and is driven crazy trying to handle a pitpull puppy named Aura. Young lives in San Diego and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.