PARIS.- The boxer Algerian Imane Khelif, Olympic gold medalist at the Paris Games and victim of attacks based on her gender, is preparing legal action after the publication in recent days of articles that claim to reveal the content of her medical report, the IOC confirmed this Wednesday.
“We understand that Imane Khelif goes to court against the people who have commented on her situation during the Olympics of Paris 2024 and to also prepare an action in response to the latest press articles,” the International Olympic Committee wrote in a statement.
“The IOC will not make any comments while legal action is ongoing, neither on press articles nor on unverified documents whose origin cannot be confirmed,” he added.
The French-speaking website “Le Correspondant” recently unearthed the controversy by stating in an article at the end of October that Khelif has XY male chromosomes.
This media claims to support its claim based on an unauthenticated report from the Kremlin-Bicetre hospital (Paris region) and the Mohamed Lamine Debaghine hospital in Algeria.
The controversy over Khelif had roots in her exclusion from the Boxing World Cup in March 2023. According to the International Boxing Federation (IBA), the boxer then did not pass a test intended to establish her gender.
The IBA, not recognized by the Olympic world, refused to specify what test it carried out to make its decision. The IOC, for its part, considered that Khelif met the conditions to participate in the women’s tournament at the Paris Games, where she was the winner in her category (welterweight, -66 kg).
“I am a strong woman, with special powers. From the ring I have sent a message to those who were against me,” said Khelif after winning her Olympic gold medal.
Background
In the past she had participated in women’s boxing competitions, including the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, without sparking controversy.
“The IOC is saddened by the attacks currently being suffered by Imane Khelif,” added the Olympic body. “As in previous Olympic boxing competitions, the sex and age of the athletes are determined according to the information contained in their passports,” he stressed.
French justice opened an investigation in August after Khelif filed a complaint for cyberbullying.
