Algerian boxing gold medallist Imane Khelif is taking legal action over French media reports.
Last week, a French magazine leaked medical records appearing to show the 25-year-old boxer has XY chromosomes, typically found in people assigned male at birth. The International Olympic Committee described the records as “unverified documents whose origin cannot be confirmed.” The documents have not been independently verified.
Context
Khelif’s participation in the competition was a major talking point at the Paris Games after an opponent in the heats withdrew from the match, saying she had “never felt a punch like this”. It sparked claims that Khelif is not a woman and did not meet participation criteria —- which the IOC strongly refuted.
The 25-year-old became Algeria’s first gold medallist in 12 years across any sport and told media after the win: “I am fully qualified to take part in this competition. I am a woman like any other woman… There are enemies of success – this is what I call them. That also gives my success a special taste because of these attacks.”
Imane Khelif’s career
Khelif began competitive boxing in 2018.
Partway through the 2023 World Championships, hosted by the International Boxing Association (IBA), Khelif and another boxer, Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, were disqualified for failing a “gender eligibility” test. It’s since said the two “did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognised test”.
IBA President Umar Kremlev told Russian state media in 2023 that the two boxers failed the test because they had XY chromosomes; this has not been supported by the IBA or by any official documentation. The IBA has not offered any further details of the test.
The IOC does not recognise the IBA due to financial issues. It declared Khelif and Lin eligible to compete in women’s events at the Paris Games. The IOC said the IBA’s disqualification of the two athletes in 2023 was “sudden and arbitrary”.
What they said
A spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee told the media: “We understand that Imane Khelif has taken legal action against individuals who commented on her situation during the Olympic Games Paris 2024, and is also preparing a lawsuit in response to the latest reporting”.
“The IOC is committed to protecting the human rights of all athletes who have taken part in the Olympic Games… The IOC is saddened by the abuse that Imane Khelif is currently receiving.”
