Imane Khelif’s Paris 2024 gold medal win sparks more gender row
Gold medallist Imane Khelif of Algeria kisses her medal as silver medallist Liu Yang of China, bronze medallists Nien Chin Chen of Taiwan and Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand react, Paris, France, Aug. 9, 2024. (Reuters Photo)


The controversy surrounding Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who clinched a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, deepened with the leak of her health report, revealing she has testes and XY chromosomes typically associated with males.

This discovery has sparked calls for the revocation of her medal.

The report, obtained by French journalist Djaffar Ait Aoudia, has ignited a heated debate about Khelif's gender identity.

Social media users have demanded that her gold medal be awarded to Italian boxer Angela Carini instead. Following her victory, Khelif faced calls for disqualification, but previous appeals to reverse her status were unsuccessful.

Khelif's boxing journey began at the 2018 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi, where she was eliminated in the first round.

She faced another early exit in the 2019 championships in Russia, finishing in 33rd place after losing to Natalia Shadrina.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she reached the quarter-finals in the lightweight category before being defeated by Ireland's Kellie Harrington.

In a notable achievement, Khelif became the first Algerian woman to reach the finals at the 2022 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, defeating Chelsey Heijnen of the Netherlands before losing to Ireland's Amy Broadhurst.