World Boxing oversaw Olympic regulations and introduced essential genetic testing for female athletes over the age of 18.
Released on September 4th, 2025
French female boxers are prohibited from competing at the first World Boxing Championships in Liverpool after failing to meet the deadline for genetic sex tests that the French Boxing Federation (FFBOXE) said were inconsistent with French law.
World Boxing, which issued a list of competitors for Thursday’s opening round, which does not include French participants, said it would not comment on individual cases, but added that it warned all coalitions about its policy.
FFBOXE said on July 21 that all female athletes were notified that they needed to provide the results of the “femininity test” during the registration for the competition that began Thursday.
French law prohibits the federal government from conducting domestic or international testing without medical prescriptions, FFBoxe said it urged it to rely on Leeds labs in response to World Boxing recommendations. They were delayed despite guaranteed that results would be delivered within 24 hours.
“As a result, due to the exclusion of our athletes and other female boxers from foreign representatives who have found themselves trapped,” FFBoxe said in a statement Thursday.
“This is a deep injustice,” he added. “Our athletes are punished for bureaucratic failure and policies reportedly too late.”
World Boxing claims that all coalitions were warned on August 21.
“It can take 48 hours to receive the results of a sex test. Tests completed after September 1st will risk athletes’ official draws and entry into the competition. If you require a sex test in the UK, consider the time you arrive in the UK,” the agency said in a statement.
“World Boxing and its partners have worked with multiple national federations over the past three weeks to promote access to testing facilities in several locations in the UK, with many boxers competing in this process being tested.”
World Boxing, which oversees boxing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, introduced mandatory genetic testing in May for female athletes over the age of 18 to confirm their competitive eligibility.
Its president, Boris van der Volst, reiterated on Wednesday that it had introduced testing to ensure safety and fairness.
A spokesman for FFBOXE told Reuters on Thursday that he had not named it and had not yet received the test results from the lab, which he had been considering possible appeals.
French boxer Maelys Richol said on Instagram that a year of work was wasted due to inadequate management.
“It’s very difficult to take. We’re frustrated, angry, very disappointed,” she said.
The controversy rekindled the debate surrounding gender validation in sports.
Algerian boxer Iman Kelif, who won gold in the women’s welterweight division of Paris Games last year, has called on the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) over a World Boxing decision to ban her from future events unless she undergoes a genetic sex test. CAS, the sport’s highest court, has dismissed her request to suspend the award while her case is being heard.
Khelif was previously disqualified from the 2023 World Championships by the International Boxing Association following sex chromosome testing. However, she competed in Paris after the International Olympic Committee stripped the IBA from its governing status and organized boxing events independently.
Van der Volst later apologised for publicly naming Kerif in an announcement about the mandatory test, acknowledging that her privacy should be respected.
Khelif chose not to participate in the World Boxing Tournament held in the Netherlands in June.
