Imane Khelif, the Olympic boxing champion at the centre of a gender controversy this summer, is reportedly taking legal action over reports mentioning leaked medical documents.
Khelif came under immense scrutiny at Paris 2024 after her first-round opponent, Angela Carini, withdrew inside 46 seconds – having been punched just once by the Algerian.
Khelif, 25, went on to win gold at welterweight, a year after being disqualified at the International Boxing Association (IBA)’s World Championship for allegedly failing a gender eligibility test.
Many unfounded claims circulated during the Paris Games, including that Khelif was previously a male and that she is now a transgender or intersex athlete. There is no evidence to support either of those claims, while the IBA hinted at the presence of XY chromosomes but never made the accusation outright and did not present any evidence.
Now, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said Khelif is taking legal action over claims made online and on social media, which reference “unverified documents whose origin cannot be confirmed”.
An IOC spokesperson said, per The Telegraph and The Times: “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.”
Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting also won gold in Paris, having similarly been disqualified from the IBA’s World Championship in 2023.
The IBA previously organised Olympic boxing but ceased to do so before the 2021 Games in Tokyo. The IOC, which ultimately oversaw boxing in Tokyo and set up the Paris Boxing Unit this summer, parted ways with the IBA over concerns relating to the organisation’s finances and links to Russia, and due to fears of corruption. At the time, the IBA accused the IOC of acting against “the best interests of boxing and athletes”.
On this week’s news around Khelif, the IOC added: “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).
“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 [...] 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.”
The Independent has contacted the IOC for comment.
