Boxing

Olympic boxer Imane Khelif takes legal action over male chromosomes claims

Algerian boxer won gold in Paris amid huge controversy

Algeria's Imane Khelif after winning gold in the women's 66kg boxing event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Photograph: Richard Pelham/Getty Images
Algeria's Imane Khelif after winning gold in the women's 66kg boxing event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Photograph: Richard Pelham/Getty Images
Wed Nov 06 2024 - 14:44

Imane Khelif, the boxer who won Olympic gold amid a gender eligibility row, is taking legal action over media reports allegedly detailing her leaked medical records, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said. Reports published in France this week claimed the 25-year-old has XY (male) chromosomes.

The boxer took gold in the women’s welterweight competition at this summer’s Games in Paris amid huge controversy after the International Boxing Association said the Algerian had been disqualified from last year’s World Championships for failing gender eligibility criteria.

Khelif’s first opponent in Paris, the Italian fighter Angela Carini, signalled she could not continue with their bout 46 seconds in, saying she “had never felt a punch like this”.

Khelif filed a legal complaint with the French authorities over the online abuse and harassment she was subjected to during the Games and the IOC said she was now also taking action over new reports which emerged in France earlier this week. It also said it was “saddened” by the abuse Khelif had received since her appearance in Paris.

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Italy's Angela Carini (left) abandons her bout in the women's 66kg preliminary round of 16 against Algeria's Imane Khelif. Photograph: Shutterstock
Italy's Angela Carini (left) abandons her bout in the women's 66kg preliminary round of 16 against Algeria's Imane Khelif. Photograph: Shutterstock

“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,” an IOC spokesperson said. “The IOC will not comment while legal action is ongoing, or on media reports about unverified documents whose origin cannot be confirmed.”

The statement pointed out Khelif had been competing in women’s boxing “for many years”, including at the previous Games in Tokyo as well as IBA-sanctioned events. The IBA was stripped of recognition by the IOC last year over governance failures. That meant it was the IOC which ran – and set the entry criteria for – the Olympic boxing tournament in Paris.

The IOC statement added: “All the athletes who participated in the boxing tournament at the Olympic Games 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). As with previous Olympic boxing competitions, the gender and age of the athletes were based on their passport details.”

The IOC said the same rules had applied during the qualification period. Its statement concluded: “The IOC is committed to protecting the human rights of all athletes who have taken part in the Olympic Games as per the Olympic Charter, the IOC Code of Ethics and the IOC Strategic Framework on Human Rights. The IOC is saddened by the abuse that Imane Khelif is currently receiving.”

Khelif said after winning gold: “I am fully qualified to take part in this competition – I am a woman. I was born a woman, I’ve lived as a woman and I’ve competed as a woman. There’s no doubt that there are enemies of success and that gives my success a special taste because of these attacks.”