George Francis says test error meant boxer missed World Championships

Test missed before competition

Francis said he was told he could not compete at the Under-19 World Championships because a blood sample for sex verification could not be provided in time. He said he learned of his ineligibility only hours before the draw.

The boxer attributed the failure to an administrative oversight by England Boxing. He said he had trained continuously for what he called his dream of representing England at his first World Championships.

Francis describes the impact

Francis, a multiple schoolboy and junior national champion, said the news left him feeling broken and unable to speak. He said he had turned 18 four days before flying and believed his test had not been arranged because the system was not checked in time.

He said he had received no phone call or message from England Boxing. Francis said he was planning to turn professional and had lost the opportunity to try to qualify for the Olympics.

England Boxing responds

England Boxing said it maintained open communication with Francis and his family, but a resolution was not possible. The governing body said athlete health and wellbeing were its highest priority and said it was committed to learning from the incident and strengthening processes to prevent a repeat.

Wider eligibility controversy

Sex eligibility testing has drawn attention following the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting won gold medals in the women’s boxing competition after being disqualified from the previous year’s World Championships for allegedly failing tests conducted by the International Boxing Association.