Imane Khelif, a boxer from Algeria and a woman with elevated male hormones, is believed to have DSD disorder

Italian boxer Angela Carini lost the fight against the Algerian in 46 seconds in the round of 16 of the 2024 Olympic Games.

The Italian took two kicks to the face and then called for the match to be stopped.

In her first statement after the match, she revealed that she had “never been hit so hard in my life”, and then differences in sexual development became a major point of controversy at this year’s Olympics.

What is it about?

Khelif has yet to speak out about the situation, but is rumored to suffer from DSD, a rare disorder that affects only 0.05-1 percent of the population.

DSD, also called an intersex disorder, can cause women to have male chromosomes or anatomy.

Algerian Imane Khelif was previously disqualified from the World Championships because the World Boxing Federation determined that she is a “biological male”, meaning she has a high level of male hormones that a woman can have.

DSD is a term for over 40 individual conditions that develop in the womb. For example, someone can be born with female sex organs, but have a combination of XY chromosomes, typical of males, as well as internal, hidden testes. They can provide people with unusual combinations of chromosomes and reproductive organs, which in terms of sports can improve their performance.

For example, an athlete may be born with female anatomy but have DSD, which causes them to have high levels of testosterone, a hormone needed for building muscle and strength. Although many DSD disorders are detected at birth, some do not become apparent until puberty or as a result of medical operations, tests or even autopsies.

Imane Khelif is not the only one

In some cases, athletes only discovered they had DSD during pre-competition medical examinations, leading to their disqualification and ending their dreams of representing their country. One of the most famous examples in sports is the case of South African runner Caster Semenya.

Olympic gold medalist Semenya suffers from a DSD called 5-alpha-reductase deficiency, which means she has male XY chromosomes and produces higher levels of testosterone than is normal for women. This type of DSD can occur in people with female reproductive anatomy and genitalia, as in Semenya’s case.

Earlier she stated that she has internal male testicles, that she does not have a uterus, but has a female genital organ. Semenya, who dominated the women’s track and field from 2009 to 2019, was forced to take drugs such as birth control pills to lower her testosterone levels, sparking controversy as she had to meet new regulations limiting hormone levels during women’s competitions.

Semenya previously said that it caused her “panic attacks” and that it was a huge stress for her that made her “vomit every day”. The issue of her DSD and possible discrimination by sports organizations became the subject of a long legal battle.

However, she is not the only athlete affected by this problem. Runners Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi, Margaret Najirera Wambui of Kenya and Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi of Namibia were also disqualified from the race due to DSD.