The new rules require fighters wishing to compete in the women’s category to take a PCR test…
Fighters will need to prove their sex ahead of the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool this September. World Boxing announced the requirement earlier this year, but eligibility guidelines have just been released with the policy officially in effect. The new rules only apply to the women’s division at this time.
Competitors will need to take a polymerase chain reaction test (PCR) or a genetic screen test organized by their National Federation. The test is meant to determine the presence or absence of a Y chromosome. This will indicate the biological sex of a fighter, confirming the category they can compete in.
World Boxing, the governing body for the sport, said the move is out of “duty of care” to “deliver safety” and “fairness.” They stated these core principles guided policy development.
How does sex testing work?
Stated in the World Boxing policy, the PCR test is a technique used to detect specific genetic material. The purpose is to find the SRY gene, which reveals a Y chromosome. If a test indicates a Y chromosome, the fighter will be banned from competing in the women’s category. If XX chromosomes are found they will be eligible to compete in the female category.
Fighters, 18 and over, need to provide a sample by either swabbing their mouth or nasal passage. They can also provide saliva or blood. The policy also states “athletes are required to submit testing to their cheek cells, blood, urine and/or saliva at the request of the athletes National Federation or World Boxing.” This policy is regardless of if sex certification was “formally consented” and can occur with no-advance-notice.
Is chromosome testing confidential?
The answer is no. World Boxing clearly states that “records shall not be considered confidential and shall not be considered medical records.” The fighter must provide consent that these records will not be confidential in order to compete.
What happens to transgender athletes under this policy?
In section six of the World Boxing policy, the organization includes what it calls a “transgender policy.” It notes that it respects the dignity of all individuals who identify as transgender. It goes on to says it wishes boxing can be as inclusive as possible.
However, the policy also reads that boxers who identify as transgender “are welcome to compete in the category of their birth sex in the sport of Olympic-style boxing under the same conditions applicable to all athletes in that sex, age, and weight category.” It goes on to read all policies outlined by the governing body must be followed by transgender athletes.
Why is this testing being introduced now?
World Boxing is not the first governing body to update its policy on chromosome testing. World Athletics, responsible for track and field sports, was the first Olympic sport to reintroduce chromosome testing.
The Olympics originally required the test, but abandoned it in the 1990s. Testing lapsed due to “numerous ambiguities that couldn’t be easily resolved by tests.” Many sports bodies moved to hormonal testing to determine sex eligibility instead. This test also created issues as some women have naturally high testosterone levels.
An Associated Press story explained why testing can be difficult. “Some women, assigned female at birth and identifying as women, have conditions called differences of sex development, or DSD, that involves an XY chromosome pattern or natural testosterone higher than the typical female range.”
New IOC president Kirsty Coventry noted that it was time “to come up with cohesion” regarding gender regulations. “It was very clear from the members that we have to protect the female category, first and foremost to ensure fairness,” she said. “But we need to do that with a scientific approach and the inclusion of the international federations who have already done a lot of work in this area.”
World Boxing has said it will “offer extensive additional analysis and evaluation for athletes with Y chromosome genetic material who wish to compete in women’s categories.” It lists additional tactics such as genetic screening, hormonal profiles, anatomical examinations and more. Fighters do have a right to appeal if they want.
The call for chromosome testing was heightened after the Paris 2024 Olympics. Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was front and centre of a gender controversy after doubts about their “gender eligibility” were raised. Khelif wasn’t the only athlete to be questioned at Paris 2024. Questions about whether Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting was eligible to compete with women was also brought up.
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