Fresh calls have arisen for Algerian Olympic boxer, Imane Khelif to be stripped of her gold medal following a reported leak claiming she is a “biological male.” Khelif, alongside Taiwanese boxer, Lin Yu-ting, sparked a “gender row” during the Olympics after being allowed to compete despite both having failed gender eligibility tests at last year’s world championships.
Both athletes went on to clinch gold in their respective weight classes, supported by IOC President, Thomas Bach, who defended their participation. However, controversy surrounding Khelif’s eligibility to compete in the women’s category reignited after the German outlet Bild published an alleged excerpt from a report suggesting Khelif is a “biological male.” The report’s authenticity remains unverified.
The investigation, reportedly from 2023, was a collaboration between endocrinologists in France and Algeria at the Kremlin-Bicetre hospital in Paris and Mohamed Lamine Debaghine hospital in Algiers.
Public figures including Piers Morgan and Martina Navratilova were quick to voice their opinions. Morgan posted on X, criticizing the IOC’s decision and calling for Khelif’s gold medal to be reassigned. Navratilova also echoed these sentiments, expressing frustration over the impact on female competitors.
Khelif, who defeated Chinese boxer, Yang Liu to secure her gold in the 66kg category, has consistently affirmed her gender identity, stating, “I was born a woman, I lived as a woman, I competed as a woman—there’s no doubt about that.” She has attributed the backlash to “enemies of success.”
Amid the heated debate, author J.K. Rowling, Elon Musk, and former U.S. President. Donald Trump have weighed in on social media. Meanwhile, Khelif’s attorney, Nabil Boudi, confirmed they had filed a lawsuit with French authorities over defamatory statements made about her gender online, though specific defendants have yet to be named.
Khelif, who is 25 years old, recently opened up about the toll this scrutiny has taken, stating that the ongoing criticism has “hurt [her] a lot.”
