(Note: This article uses they/them pronouns for Imane Khelif) Three months after the Paris Olympics 2024, women's boxing gold medallist Imane Khelif was allegedly revealed as 'Male' in a leaked medical report. While the boxer and their family asserted that Khelif was female, a report published in France this week claimed they have XY chromosomes. Khelif is now taking legal action as the gender row has been reignited, with many athletes worldwide demanding the Algerian boxer's gold medal be taken away.
Khelif has been at the centre of a controversy since July 31 after a tournament that lasted 46 seconds stirred speculations about their gender and sexual identity. Italy's Angela Carini, allegedly bowed out of the pre-quarterfinal match as Khelif's strong blow left her nose injured.
Olympics' Statement, Public Response
The International Olympic Committee said in a statement on November 6 that Imane Khelif was taking legal action after a medical report about Khelif's purported male identity was leaked. They are allegedly suing those who have "commented on her situation during the Olympic Games Paris 2024," the IOC stated, according to a report in NDTV.
"The IOC will not comment while legal action is ongoing, or on media reports about unverified documents whose origin cannot be confirmed," the Committee added. The IOC said that Khelif had competed in the women's category in international competition "for many years", including at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and at the International Boxing Association (IBA) world championships and IBA-sanctioned tournaments.
Many public figures have spoken up about recently re-triggered gender disputes related to the Olympics.
Breakdown Of Imane Khelif Gender Row
Khelif won the medal by defeating China's Yang Lui in the women's 66kg final on August 9, 2024. The boxer became the first from Algeria to win a gold medal at the Games. However, their journey to winning the medal was tumultuous.
A boxing match which usually lasts three minutes ended in 46 seconds on July 31, as Angela Carini refused to continue after her nose was injured. The Italian knelt and sobbed in the boxing ring as she lost her qualification for the quarterfinals to Algeria's Imane Khelif.
After her defeat, Carini spoke to the media saying. "I have a big pain in my nose and I said, 'Stop'. It's better to avoid keeping going. My nose started dripping (with blood) from the first hit," she said. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke up about the matter, saying the match was "not on equal footing."
The match stirred speculations regarding Khelif's qualification for the women's tournament. The IBA claimed that in 2023, Khelif was disqualified hours before her final match at the women's World Championships in New Delhi, after the Algerian was found to have excessive testosterone in their system.
Umar Kremlev, Amateur Boxing President, told Russian news agency TASS, "DNA tests of two boxers proved they have XY chromosomes and were thus excluded." In 2024, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) reportedly allowed Khelif and another boxer, Taiwan's double world champion Lin Yu-ting, who had allegedly failed the gender eligibility tests at the World Championships, to compete in the Paris Games.
IOC President, Thomas Bach, denied the 'transgender' allegations and said in a statement in August, "Let's be very clear here, we're talking about women's boxing. Everyone competing in the women's category is complying with competition eligibility rules. They are women in their passports and it's stated in there that they are female. We will not take part in a sometimes politically motivated cultural war."
According to a report in the Associated Press, the International Boxing Association (IBA), which has been banned from the Olympics since 2019, revealed in August that the Algerian boxer had allegedly failed a gender eligibility test in 2023, sparking global outrage and rumours. Khelif even filed a criminal complaint for online harassment against many public figures who said they were a biological male or transgender.
Imane Khelif Cyberbullying Lawsuit
Imane Khelif filed a lawsuit on August 10 against several personalities who allegedly badmouthed their sexual identity on social media. Paris-based attorney Nabil Boudi told Variety, "The boxer Imane Khelif has decided to begin a new fight, a fight for justice, dignity and honour," filing a complaint for "aggravated online harassment."
Boudi added, "JK Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit, among others." He also said that former US President Donald Trump would be part of the investigation. "Trump tweeted, so whether or not he is named in our lawsuit, he will inevitably be looked into as part of the prosecution," he said.
The lawyer added, "The investigation will determine who was behind this misogynist, racist and sexist campaign, but will also have to concern itself with those who fed the online lynching." He said that the "iniquitous harassment" against Khelif will be "the biggest stain on these Olympics."
Imane Khelif Statement In August
In August, Khelif broke the silence about the gender row in an interview with The Associated Press. " After the media frenzy and after the victory (against Hungary's Anna Luca Hamori), there was a mix of joy and at the same time, I was greatly affected, because honestly, it wasn’t an easy thing to go through at all. It was something that harmed human dignity."
Speaking in Arabic, they said, “I send a message to all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes, because this has effects, massive effects... It can destroy people, it can kill people’s thoughts, spirits and minds. It can divide people. And because of that, I ask them to refrain from bullying.”
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