Imane Khelif controversy at Paris Olympics shows how sex testing in women’s sports puts regulators in an impossible bind

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif celebrates her victory in the women’s boxing 66-kilogram quarterfinal match at the Paris Olympics on Aug. 3, 2024. Richard Pelham/Getty Images by Jaime Schultz, Penn State In their preliminary 2024 Olympic women’s boxing match, Algeria’s Imane Khelif delivered a painful blow to the face of Italy’s Angela Carini, who abandoned the fight after 46 seconds. “I’ve never been hit with such a powerful punch,” Carini told reporters after the match. Italy’s Angela Carini gave up 1 minute into the fight with Algeria’s Imane Khelif Carini took a blow to the face & said she “had never been punched that hard before”#Olympics #AngelaCarina #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/zWqjhZrOhJ — Expordia | Global Breaking News (@expordia) August 1, 2024 The incident might have been relatively uncontroversial were it not for what had happened during the 2023 International Boxing Association (IBA) Women’s World Championships. During that tournament – two days before its conclusion – officials had disqualified Khelif, who competes in the 66-kilogram (146-pound) weight class, and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, who fights at 57 kilograms (126 pounds). The IBA issued an official statement asserting that the women “did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages...