Khelif was born inAïn Sidi Ali, Laghouat Province.[10][11] When she was two months old, her family moved to Biban Mesbah, a rural village inTiaret Province, where she would grow up.[12][13]
Her father said she "has loved sport since she was six-years-old."[14] She originally playedfootball before switching to boxing. In her early years, she had to commute toTiaret to attend training sessions, and sold bread andscrap metal to afford the bus fare.[12][15][16] She stated that her father, who is a welder,[12][15] initially did not allow her to participate in the sport because "he did not approve of boxing for girls".[17]
In March 2021, she won a gold medal at the Istanbul Bosphorus International Boxing Tournament, defeatingAnastasia Belyakova in the final of the women's lightweight event.[20][better source needed][21]
Khelif receiving her gold medal after defeating Morocco'sOumaïma Belahbib in the women's welterweight final of the2023 Arab Games
In March 2023, Khelif competed for the gold medal in the finals at theIBA Women's World Boxing Championships; however, she was disqualified shortly before her gold medal bout against People's Republic of China boxerYang Liu. The disqualification came amid allegations from the Russian-ledInternational Boxing Association (IBA) that Khelif had failed unspecified eligibility tests.[33] This disqualification happened three days after Khelif defeatedAzalia Amineva [ru], a previously unbeaten Russian prospect. The disqualification restored the Russian boxer's undefeated record.[33] According to theAlgerian Olympic Committee, Khelif was disqualified for medical reasons.[34][35] Uzbekistani boxerNavbakhor Khamidova was awarded the bronze medal over Khelif.[36]
In 2023,Umar Kremlev, president of the IBA, said that the disqualifications were becauseDNA tests "proved they hadXY chromosomes".[37][7]The Washington Post stated, "It remains unclear what standards Khelif andLin Yu-ting failed [in 2023] to lead to the disqualifications",[7][37] further writing, "There never has been evidence that [...] Khelif [...] had XY chromosomes or elevated levels of testosterone."[7] The IBA did not reveal the testing methodology, stating the "specifics remain confidential".[38] At the time, Khelif said the ruling meant having "characteristics that mean I can't box with women", but said she was the victim of a "big conspiracy" regarding the disqualification.[39] She initially appealed to theCourt of Arbitration for Sport but the appeal was terminated since Khelif couldn't pay the procedural costs.[17][40]
On 31 July 2024, regarding their 2023 decision, the IBA stated that Khelif and others "did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test, whereby the specifics remain confidential", and further alleged that they "were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors".[41][better source needed] The following day, the IOC released their own statement in response, stating that the IBA's decision was "sudden and arbitrary" and "without any due process". IOC further stated:
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 afterward 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".[4]
In July 2023, four months after the IBA Championships disqualification, Khelif represented Algeria at theArab Games, where she won a gold medal in the women's welterweight event.[42]
In November 2023, she announced that she was turningprofessional;[43] her first professional fight took place in Singapore that month.[44]
Arabic-language interview with Khelif following her second-round fight
In January 2024, Khelif became aUNICEF national ambassador.[15][17] In April, she won the women's 66 kg event at the World Boxing Cup inPueblo, Colorado, U.S., defeating Emilie Sonvico in the final.[45][46]
The boxing events in Paris for the2024 Summer Olympics were managed by theInternational Olympic Committee (IOC) Paris 2024 Boxing Unit.[37] The IBA had been suspended by the IOC in 2019 due to governance issues under prior leadership; since then, Olympic boxing has been overseen by an IOC task force.[47][48] The IOC cleared Khelif to compete in Paris, confirming that she complied with all necessary eligibility and medical regulations for the event.[35][49] While the IOC does not test athletes for gender,[7][clarification needed] it stated that all athletes competing in Paris comply with the competition's eligibility and entry regulation, and that Khelif "was born female, was registered female, lived her life as a female, boxed as a female, has a female passport".[50][4] Later, the IOC confirmed receiving the letter from the IBA in June 2023, and stated that "from the conception of the test, to how the test was shared with us, to how the tests have become public, is so flawed that it's impossible to engage with it".[51]
During the IBA press conference in Paris on 5 August 2024, the organization's position and its president, Umar Kremlev, regarding the nature of the conducted tests changed and became contradictory. Initially, the IBA claimed that sex verification tests were conducted. Still, at the conference, Secretary General Chris Roberts spoke of "chromosome tests", while Kremlev asserted that the tests aimed to determine testosterone levels in athletes. The situation was exacerbated by Kremlev's statements, who repeatedly criticized IOC PresidentThomas Bach, declared his intention to initiate legal proceedings against him, and expressed dissatisfaction with theOlympic Games opening ceremony, calling it "humiliating".[52][53][54][55] The IBA claimed to have used laboratories accredited by theWorld Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for testing, but WADA denied involvement in sex verification, stating it deals solely with anti-doping matters.[54]
Khelif's win came after she faced intense public scrutiny over her eligibility to compete in the women's category, including from celebrities and world leaders. Khelif became the target of online abuse and misinformation, including the false claim that she is a man,[3][65][66][67][68] which was promoted by figures such asJ. K. Rowling.[69] In response, Khelif said that the backlash she received "harms human dignity" and called for an end to thebullying of athletes.[70] Khelif filed a criminal complaint in France against multiple individuals forcyberbullying, naming in it Rowling andElon Musk, among others.[71][72][73]
Second-round fight against Angela Carini
Khelif (red) and Carini during their second-round fight at the2024 Summer Olympics
As the fifth seed, Khelif received abye into the second round.[74] In the second round, held on 1 August, she defeatedAngela Carini ofItaly 46 seconds after the match commenced, when Carini withdrew after receiving two blows, citing intense pain in her nose. Carini reportedly exclaimed, "It's not fair!" after a punch from Khelif. Because of this, Khelif received online backlash from those who questioned hergender.[75]
The next day, Carini apologized to Khelif via the Italian newspaperLa Gazzetta dello Sport, stating, "All this controversy makes me sad [...] I'm sorry for my opponent, too. If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision."[76][77] TheAlgerian Olympic Committee (COA) defended Khelif, stating before the match that Khelif had been the victim of "unethical targeting" and "baseless propaganda", and that they had taken "all necessary measures" to protect Khelif and her right to compete.[17]
Khelif's father, in a statement toSky Sports, stated, "My child is a girl. She was raised as a girl. She's a strong girl. I raised her to be hard-working and brave. She has a strong will to work and to train."[78] At a news conference on 3 August 2024, IOC PresidentThomas Bach defended the participation of Khelif andLin Yu-ting, saying, "There was never any doubt about them being a woman."[79] He further reaffirmed that Khelif was born a woman and denounced hate speech against her.[50]
On 6 November 2024, the IOC disclosed that Khelif was preparing a lawsuit againstLe Correspondant, a French magazine which had earlier in the week published claims about the boxer's eligibility, which the magazine said came from a leaked medical report.[80] The IOC said that theLe Correspondant story references "unverified documents whose origin cannot be confirmed".[80]
2025
On 10 February 2025, the IBA mentioned Khelif and Lin Yu-ting in a statement that they were filing a complaint against the IOC regarding the eligibility of these athletes to compete. Khelif responded by accusing the IBA of making "false and offensive" accusations.[81]
^abBeacham, Greg (9 August 2024)."Algerian boxer Imane Khelif wins gold at Olympics after enduring abuse fueled by misinformation".PBS NewsHour. Associated Press.Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved24 August 2024.Those cheering fans have embraced Khelif throughout her run in Paris even as she faced an extraordinary amount of scrutiny from world leaders, major celebrities and others who have questioned her eligibility or falsely claimed she was a man.
^Wilson, Brock (3 August 2024)."Misinformation persists online after super-brief Olympic boxing bout".CBC News.Archived from the original on 12 August 2024. Retrieved12 August 2024.Nor is there any evidence to support the online speculation that Khelif has experienced differences in sex development (DSD), a group of rare conditions that can cause women to have XY chromosomes and blood testosterone levels in the male range.
^"Boxe : Imane Khelif passe pro" [Boxing: Imane Khelif turns pro].L'Algérie Aujourd'hui (in French). 23 November 2023.Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved26 August 2024.
^Lavietes, Matt; Li, David K.; Arian, Alfred (7 August 2024)."Boxer Imane Khelif advances to Olympic championships amid gender controversy".NBC News.Archived from the original on 24 August 2024. Retrieved24 August 2024.[Khelif] and another female Olympic boxer, Lin Yu-ting representing Chinese Taipei, continue to face intense scrutiny and false accusations about their gender and eligibility to compete with women.
^Carter, Lucy; Martino, Matt; Nguyen, Kevin; Michael, Workman (5 August 2024)."What is the IBA and why is it being blamed for the pile-on against Olympic boxer Imane Khelif?".ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Archived from the original on 24 August 2024. Retrieved24 August 2024.What started as athletes attempting to compete in their chosen sport has spiralled into a story that now involves a Russia-linked official, a global social media pile-on, huge amounts of mis- and disinformation and anti-trans activists jumping in.
^Pequeño, Antonio IV (9 August 2024)."What To Know About Olympics Gender Debate As Imane Khelif Wins Women's Boxing Final".Forbes.Archived from the original on 10 August 2024. Retrieved10 August 2024.Khelif's participation at the Olympics has been a subject of intense scrutiny after she was disqualified during the 2023 International Boxing Association's World Boxing Championships for allegedly failing to meet eligibility requirements for the women's competition
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