Imane Khelif: Boxer at centre of Olympics gender row takes legal action over medical claims
Imane Khelif, the gold medal-winning boxer at the centre of the Olympic gender controversy at Paris 2024, is taking legal action over reports in France that leaked medical documents claim she has male XY chromosomes.
The Algerian boxer, who became the centre of an enormous row when her opponent, Italy’s Angela Carini, refused to fight her after 46 seconds of their bout, is understood to be taking action following claims made online and on social media platforms that reference “unverified documents whose origin cannot be confirmed”, the International Olympics Committee have claimed.
An IOC spokesperson said: “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 will not comment while legal action is ongoing, or on media reports about unverified documents whose origin cannot be confirmed.
“Imane Khelif has been competing in the women’s category in international boxing competitions for many years, including the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, International Boxing Association World Championships and IBA-sanctioned tournaments.”
Khelif was one of two boxers, along with Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan, who became embroiled in controversy during the summer’s Paris Games after the IBA disqualified both from the amateur World Championships last year for what they claimed were failed gender eligibility tests.
But both were allowed to compete at the Olympics after the IOC seized control of boxing regulations at the Games because of past corruption within the IBA, and the refusal to introduce gender-specific regulations for athletes with “differences of sexual development”, rules that also apply to transgender competitors, resulted in a fierce backlash against Khelif and Lin’s victories in the women’s welterweight and featherweight divisions respectively.
IOC saddened by the abuse Khelif has received
The IOC added that they were “saddened” by abuse Khelif has received since winning gold medals. “All the athletes who participated in the boxing tournament at Paris 2024 complied with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations, together with all the applicable medical regulations enacted by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU),” it added.
“As with previous Olympic boxing competitions, the gender and age of the athletes were based on their passport details.
“These rules also applied during the qualification period, including the boxing tournaments of the 2023 European Games, Asian Games, Pan-American Games and Pacific Games, the ad hoc 2023 African qualifying tournament in Dakar (Senegal), and two world qualifying tournaments, held in Busto Arsizio [Italy] and Bangkok [Thailand] in 2024, which involved a total of 1,471 different boxers from 172 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), the Boxing Refugee Team and Individual Neutral Athletes, and featured over 2,000 qualification bouts.
“The PBU used the Tokyo 2020 boxing rules as a baseline to develop its regulations for Paris 2024. This was to minimise the impact on athletes’ preparations and guarantee consistency between Olympic Games. These Tokyo 2020 rules were based on the post-Rio 2016 rules, which were in place before the suspension of the IBA by the IOC in 2019 and the subsequent withdrawal of IOC recognition in 2023. Eligibility rules should not be changed during ongoing competitions, and any rule change must follow appropriate processes and should be based on scientific evidence.
“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.”
