Dutch Olympic boxer Chelsey Heijnen believes the introduction of mandatory gender testing in boxing is “a good idea” and suggests she might have claimed a world title if such tests had been implemented earlier in her career.
The Roosendaal native, who competed at the Paris Olympics, has faced Algeria’s Imane Khelif twice in the past, including a 5-0 defeat in the 2022 World Championship semifinals.
“If this makes the sport fairer, it’s no problem for me,” Heijnen told Dutch broadcaster NOS. “I think it’s good to ensure safety, because in boxing there’s a real difference in strength. You’re hitting against someone else’s body. That’s different from other sports.”
World Boxing, the new international boxing federation led by Dutch official Boris van der Vorst, introduced mandatory gender testing last week. The PCR test will detect whether the male Y-chromosome is present in an athlete’s body.
Heijnen sees no issue with undergoing such testing. “I already have to get tested for HIV and hepatitis before major boxing competitions. What difference does one more test tube make if it makes the sport fairer?”
The discussion around gender testing in boxing intensified during the Paris Olympics when Khelif became the center of international attention after her Italian opponent Carini tearfully abandoned their match after just 46 seconds. Khelif eventually won gold.
Following the announcement of mandatory gender testing, World Boxing stated that Khelif would be temporarily barred from competition, preventing her participation in the Eindhoven Box Cup this weekend.
Reflecting on her bouts against Khelif, Heijnen shared: “People told me I should have refused to fight her, but that wasn’t an option for me. I think I just need to beat her if I want to be the best in the world. If I have to box against her, I’ll do it. I don’t think about it further.”
“I did notice that Khelif had few feminine characteristics. She looks very athletic and yes, she hits harder. But I do that too for my weight class. So people could say the same about me,” Heijnen added. “I also thought: what man would want to compete in women’s events? And if she’s allowed to box, it must be correct, right?”
Heijnen finds the timing of the new testing requirement unfortunate, especially coming a year after the Olympics. “It could perhaps have been done three years ago, but I think it couldn’t be arranged legally so quickly. It might have earned me a world title.”
