A women's rights organization is calling for the removal of Imane Khelif's Olympic gold medal after a controversial report alleged that the Algerian boxer may be "biologically male." This claim has sparked a heated debate surrounding Khelif’s eligibility to compete in the women’s boxing category, following accusations that she was allowed to participate despite allegedly failing gender eligibility tests at the 2023 World Championships.
Khelif, 25, was at the center of a gender-related dispute after being cleared by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to compete in the women’s boxing competition, despite being barred from the 2023 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships. The IOC had suspended the International Boxing Association (IBA) at the time, giving Khelif the green light to participate in the Olympic Games.
The controversy resurfaced earlier this month when an unconfirmed report, purportedly authored by French and Algerian endocrinologists, alleged that Khelif exhibited "male characteristics" and had XY chromosomes, a claim that further fueled the gender row. This report has yet to be verified and has led to widespread scrutiny of Khelif’s participation in the Olympic Games.
Kim Jones, co-founder of the Independent Council on Women's Sport (ICONS), has called for Khelif’s gold medal to be stripped away. Speaking to German outlet BILD, Jones stated, "We agree that the medal and all awards should be taken away and given to the best performing female athlete." She also advocated for sanctions against those involved, including the heads of the IOC and the Algerian team, whom she accuses of putting women at risk by allowing what she describes as "deception."
The allegations have been met with strong opposition from the Algerian Olympic Committee, which condemned the accusations as "unsubstantiated" and aimed at damaging the reputation of an athlete who brought international honor to the country. "These attacks, often based on unsubstantiated allegations, aim to tarnish the image of an athlete who has brought honor to our nation on the international stage," said the committee in a statement.
The IOC has refrained from commenting on the issue while legal action is pending and emphasized that they would not respond to media reports regarding unverified documents. They reiterated that the organization’s stance, as expressed during the controversy at the Paris Olympics, remains unchanged.
As this legal and ethical battle continues to unfold, the future of Khelif’s Olympic medal remains uncertain, with both supporters and critics watching closely.
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