Imane Khelif was ‘told to return Olympic gold medal’ after bombshell new details were released.
The 26-year-old athlete went viral after beating Yanh Liu in their welterweight fight during the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
Her win caused a lot of controversy however, after the Algerian athlete failed an unspecified gender eligibility test in 2023 carried out by the International Boxing Association.
Controversy sparked after Khelif beat Italian boxer Angela Carini in just 46 seconds. The Italian claimed that Khelif’s punches ‘hurt too much’, however, she later apologized for not shaking her opponents hand and all of the negative controversy that followed.
The Olympic committee then made a statement backing up both fighters:
“Every person has the right to practise sport without discrimination.
“All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU) (please find all applicable rules here). As with previous Olympic boxing competitions, the gender and age of the athletes are based on their passport.
“These rules also applied during the qualification period, including the boxing tournaments of the 2023 European Games, Asian Games, Pan American Games and Pacific Games, the ad hoc 2023 African qualifying tournament in Dakar (SEN) and two world qualifying tournaments held in Busto Arsizio (ITA) and Bangkok (THA) in 2024, which involved a total of 1,471 different boxers from 172 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), the Boxing Refugee Team and Individual Neutral Athletes, and featured over 2,000 qualification bouts.
“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 boxing International Federation by the IOC in 2019 and the subsequent withdrawal of its recognition in 2023.”
“We have seen in reports misleading information about two female athletes competing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The two athletes have been competing in international boxing competitions for many years in the women’s category, including the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships and IBA-sanctioned tournaments.
“These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA. Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process.
“According to the IBA minutes available on their website, this decision was initially taken solely by the IBA Secretary General and CEO. The IBA Board only ratified it afterwards and only subsequently requested that a procedure to follow in similar cases in the future be established and reflected in the IBA Regulations. The minutes also say that the IBA should ‘establish a clear procedure on gender testing’.
“The current aggression against these two athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision, which was taken without any proper procedure – especially considering that these athletes had been competing in top-level competition for many years.
“Such an approach is contrary to good governance.
“Eligibility rules should not be changed during ongoing competition, 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 participating 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 the two athletes are currently receiving.
“The IBA’s recognition was withdrawn by the IOC in 2023 following its suspension in 2019. The withdrawal of recognition was confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). See the IOC’s statement following the ruling.
“The IOC has made it clear that it needs National Boxing Federations to reach a consensus around a new International Federation in order for boxing to be included on the sports programme of the Olympic Games LA28.”
Khelif, who was born and raised a woman, made the following statement after her victory:
“I am fully qualified. I am a woman like any other woman. I was born a woman, I lived as a woman, I competed as woman – there is no doubt.
“There are enemies of success of course. That gives my success a special taste because of these attacks.”
“I want to tell the world that they should commit to the Olympic principles and they should not bully people.
“This is the message of the Olympics. I hope people stop bullying. We are in the Olympic to perform as athletes, to our families. I hope will not see any similar attacks in future.”
The IBA said Khelif had 21 days to appeal the test results that showed she had xy chromosomes but she did not appeal and went on to win gold at the 2024 Olympics.
Now, almost a year later, President of the IBA, Umar Kremlev, has asked the athlete to return ehr gold medal.
Speaking to Mail Sport, Kremlev said: “The IOC is not fighting for the fairness in sport. The IOC is giving away medals based on their political interests.
“Imane Khelif should be made to return the Olympic medal from Paris.”
Having not taken part in the mandatory PCR tests as part of an updated policy on ‘Sex, Age and Weight’ for World Boxing events in the women’s category, the athlete has received an indefinite ban until she can prove she does not have the Y chromosome.
Taking to Instagram on the ‘Global Day of Parents’, the athlete wrote: “Today, I became a champion, but it all started long ago! When my parents believed in me, even when the dream felt too big.
“When they supported me, listened to me, and stood by me. Being a parent isn’t easy. There’s no manual.
“But the love, patience, and trust you give your child can change everything. On this #GlobalDayOfParents, I just want to say thank you.”
Her followers commented their support for the star, with one writing: “Your parents did a wonderful job raising a gem like you, you make them proud and you make us proud too. May your shining star never dim.”
Journalist Alan Abrahamson has also released the results from the March 2023 test – the results of which were only seen by 3 Wire Sports:
The results show that the chromosome analysis had a “male karyotype” and were labelled “abnormal”.
When IOC spokesperson Mark Adams was asked about these results, he claimed the test was “not legitimate” and it didn’t “deserve any response”: “The tests themselves, the process of the tests, the ad hoc nature of the tests are not legitimate.
“The testing, the method of the testing, the idea of the testing, which happened kind of overnight. None of it is legitimate and this does not deserve any response,”.
Author JK Rowling – who is well known for her strong views on transgender athletes, has labeled the test results ‘a win for women’.
Sharing to social media, the millionaire has shared online: ‘It’s a win for women because they won’t be b*ttered to death in the ring by men,’.
‘If you had any idea what physical tests women go through routinely in their lives you’d know a cheek swab is no bigger deal than flossing your teeth. Any more moronic questions, wing them over.’
TV presenter Piers Morgan has also weighed in with his opinion. Taking to X, Morgan said: ‘The biology-denying woke brigade abused and shamed me for saying it was outrageous and dangerous for Khelif to be beating up women at the Olympics.
‘I’m ready for their apology, but won’t hold my breath.’