Explainer-DSD rules in focus in women's boxing

PARIS : The presence at the Paris Olympics of two boxers who were disqualified from last year's world champion­ships has revived the discussion over whether athletes with Differences of Sexual Development (DSD) should compete in women's competition.

WHAT IS A DSD?

Differences of Sexual Development are a group of rare conditions involving genes, hormones and reproductive organs. Some people with DSDs are raised as female but have XY sex chromosomes, blood testosterone levels in the male range and the ability to use testosterone circulating within their bodies.

WHY IS THAT AN ISSUE IN SPORT?

Women's sports categories exist in most sports in recognition of the clear advantage that going through male puberty gives an athlete.

That advantage is not just through higher testosterone levels but also in muscle mass, skeletal advantage and faster twitch muscle.

In combat sports such as boxing, this can be a serious safety issue.

WHAT IS THE ISSUE AT THE PARIS OLYMPICS?

Boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting at last year's world championships in New Delhi fell foul of International Boxing Association (IBA) eligibility rules that prevent athletes with XY chromosomes from competing in women's events.

Algeria's Khelif was disqualified hours before her gold-medal bout in New Delhi, while Taiwan's double world champion Lin lost her bronze medal after she too failed to meet the criteria.

WHY ARE THEY ALLOWED TO COMPETE AT THE OLYMPICS?

The IBA was stripped of its status as the global governing body for boxing by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in June last year because of its failure to complete reforms on governance, finance and ethical issues.

The IOC is therefore running the boxing competition at the Paris Games, as it did at the