Imane khelif
Imane Khelif an Algerian professional boxer was born on 2 may 1999. The 2024 Summer Olympics saw Imane Khelif win the women’s boxing 66 kg competition. The news about Angela Carini, an Italian, and her gender and the ability to compete with Khelif after she won the race at the 2024 Olympics propagated on social media.
Imane Khelif Biography
Early life
She was born in Ain Sidi Ali, Laghouat Province, and when she was two months old, her family moved to Biban Mesbah, a rural village in Tiaret Province, where she grew up. She used to play football and then switched to boxing. She was forced to sell bread and scrap metal to pay for bus fare in her early years when she had to commute to Tiaret for training, and her father, a welder, did not initially allow her to participate in the sport because he did not support female boxing.
Career
2018-2021: Advancement to career and Olympic entry.
Khelif finished 17th in women’s lightweight at the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in 2018, losing in the first round to Karina Ibragimova. In 2018, Khelif competed in the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, but lost in the first round to Karina Ibragimova in the women’s lightweight category. She competed in the 2019 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships and finished 33rd in the female lightweight category, losing in the first round to Natalia Shadrina.
She competed in the women’s lightweight division at the 2020 Summer Olympics, losing to Kellie Harrington of Ireland in the quarterfinals, making her the first female boxer to compete in the Olympics.
In March 2021, she won the gold medal at the Istanbul Bosphorus International Boxing Tournament, defeating Anastasia Belyakova in the women’s lightweight final.
2022: IBA Championships
In 2022, Khelif won the gold medal at the Strandja Memorial Tournament by defeating Nataliya Sychugova in the final of the women’s 63 kg competition. Khelif was chosen to represent Algeria as the flagbearer at the 2022 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships. During the tournament, she became the first Algerian woman boxer to reach the final, defeating Chelsey Heijnen.
Khelif then lost the final to Amy Broadhurst, becoming a runner-up later in the year. Later that year, Khelif won gold medals in both the Mediterranean Games and the African Amateur Boxing Championships.
2023: IBA Championships
Khelif was in the finals of the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in March 2023, looking to win the gold medal, but she was disqualified just before her bout against Yang Liu of the Peoples Republic of China. The Russian-based International Boxing Association (IBA) claimed Khelif failed specific eligibility checks, which resulted in his disqualification. This disqualification came three days after Khelif defeated Azalia Amineva [ru], a previously unbeaten Russian prospect. The disqualification reinstated the Russian boxer’s unblemished record. The Algerian Olympic Committee rejected Khelif on medical grounds, and Uzbek boxer Navbakhor Khamidova was awarded the bronze medal instead.
In 2023, Umar Kremlev, president of the IBA, incorrectly stated that they had XY chromosomes based on DNA tests; he later said, “It is unclear what standards the IBA required them to fail [in 2023] to be disqualified,” adding, “… Khelif was XXY or high testosterone carrier.” The IBA did not reveal the testing technique, claiming that the information is secret. In her words, Khelif claimed that the verdict meant that she possessed a characteristic that prevented her from boxing alongside women, but she also claimed to have fallen victim to a big plot involving the disqualification. She first filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but it was canceled because Khelif could not meet the procedural costs.
Concerning their 2023 ruling, on July 31, 2024, the IBA stated that they did not receive a testosterone test, but rather a separate and recognized test, the details of which are confidential, and that they had competitive advantages over other female competitors. The following day, the IOC released their own rebuttal, claiming that the IBA’s decision was arbitrary and without due process. The IOC also stated:
This decision was initially made by the IBA Secretary General and CEO, as documented in the IBA minutes available on their website. It was eventually ratified by the IBA Board, who simply requested that a method be developed and incorporated in the IBA Regulations for similar circumstances in the future. The minutes state that the IBA should establish a clear policy on gender testing.
Four months after being disqualified from the IBA Championships in July 2023, Khelif competed in the Arab Games in July and won gold in the women’s welterweight division. She announced her professional debut in November 0223, with her first match taking place in Singapore that same month.
2024: Olympic Gold Medal
Khelif began working for UNICEF as a national ambassador in January 2024. She won the women’s 66kg division at the World Boxing Cup in Pueblo, Colorado, United States in April, defeating Emilie Sonvico in the final.
The Paris 2024 Boxing Unit of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) oversaw the boxing events at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. In 2019, the IOC suspended the IBA due to governance problems raised by the previous leadership, and Olympic boxing has since been overseen by an IOC task group.
The IOC also granted Khelif permission to compete in the Paris event, determining that she had met all of the necessary eligibility and medical conditions. The IOC certified that every athlete in Paris meets the competition’s admission and entry requirements, and that Khelif was born and registered as female, lived her life and boxed as female, and had a female passport.
The IOC later confirmed receipt of the letter from the IBA in June 2023, and stated that “since the test was devised, to the manner in which the test was delivered to us, to the manner in which the tests have been made public, is so defective that we cannot interact with it.
On August 5, 2024, at an IBA press conference in Paris, the organization took a different perspective, with its president, Umar Kremlev, changing and contradicting the nature of the tests completed. First, IBA claimed that sex verification tests were conducted.
Nonetheless, at the meeting, Secretary General Chris Roberts mentioned chromosome testing, which Kremlev claimed were used to determine testosterone levels in athletes. Things were also exacerbated by the words of IOC President Thomas Bach, who frequently condemned the laboratories used to conduct the tests, claimed that he would take legal action against him, and was dissatisfied with the Olympic Games opening ceremony, calling it humiliating.
On 3 August, seeded fifth in the women’s 66 kg (welterweight) event, Khelif beat Hungary’s Luca Hámori in the quarterfinals, and on 6 August, she defeated Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand to secure the gold medal, becoming the first woman Algerian boxer to win a medal, and the first boxer of either gender to win a medal since Mohamed Allalou in 2000 or Hocine Sol.
Khelif’s victory came despite extensive public criticism of her eligibility to compete in the women’s division, notably from celebrities and world leaders. Khelif became the focus of internet harassment and misinformation, including the bogus assertion that she is a man, which was promoted by celebrities including J. K. Rowling. In reaction, Khelif stated that the backlash she got “harms human dignity” and advocated for an end to athlete bullying. Khelif filed a criminal lawsuit in France against several individuals for cyberbullying, including Rowling and Elon Musk.
Second-round fight against Angela Carini
Khelif as a fifth seed was given a bye to the second round. She also won the second round in a match that was started on 1 August but she triumphed against Angela Carini of Italy 46 seconds into the match when Carini withdrew after she was hit twice complaining that her nose was in pain. Carini reputedly said, It is not equitable! after a punch from Khelif. Due to this, Khelif was onlinely attacked by people who doubted her gender.
The following day Carini apologized to Khelif through the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, saying, All this controversy makes me sad I am sorry to my opponent, too. In case the IOC explained that she is able to fight, I admire such choice. The Algerian Olympic Committee (COA) came to Khelif’s defense, claiming prior to the match that Khelif was a victim of unethical targeting and unfounded propaganda, and that they had done everything possible to protect Khelif and her right to participate.
In a statement to Sky Sports, Khelif’s father said that his child is a girl. She was reared as a girl. She is a powerful girl. I raised her to be a hardworking and bold youngster. She aspires to work and exercise hard. On August 3, 2024, IOC President Thomas Bach justified the admission of Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, stating, “We never thought they were not a woman at any time; that is the answer to that question.” He also stated that Khelif was born a lady and denounced hate speech against her.
On November 6, 2024, the IOC revealed that Khelif was considering a lawsuit against Le Correspondant, a French magazine that had published statements throughout the course of the week questioning boxer eligibility, which the magazine alleged were contained in a le According to the IOC, the Le Correspondant narrative relies on unsubstantiated documents whose origins cannot be identified.
2025
In May 2025, World Boxing announced it would conduct sex verification testing on all athletes in its events sanctioned by the group; it specifically referenced Khelif in its announcement as saying that she would be prohibited to competes until she undergoes genetic sex screening. The president of World Boxing Boris van der Vorst apologized to the Algerian federation saying that they thought it was an infringement on her privacy.
In June 2025 Khelif was planning to take part in international competition again at the Eindhoven Box Cup. News of the however, after this sex testing became mandatory by World Boxing, tournament officials claimed that Khelif had failed to enter the tournament. She in August 2025 lodged an appeal over the World Boxing decision. Later on September 1, the Court of Arbitration for Sport publicly accepted the appeal, yet denied her the option of suspension pending the hearing of the case on the World Boxing decision. Because of this Khelif was unable to compete in the world boxing championship which began on September 4, 2025.
Imane Khelif Medical Report
In June 2023, a medical study proposed that Imane Khelif might have a difference in sexual development (DSD), and this would be 5-alpha reductase type-2 deficiency. It is a rare syndrome connected with the presence of XY chromosomes and internal testes and may lead to abnormal genital development. Though this was the case, the findings were not formally checked or publicly disclosed by the ruling sports bodies at that time despite the research. The leaking of this information without permission or medical confidence led to a lot of speculation, internet animosity and malinformation. Khelif now regretted the intrusion of her privacy, and sued to defend her dignity.
Elon Musk Accused by Boxer Imane Khelif
In France, Algerian fighter Imane Khelif filed a cyberbullying lawsuit against Elon Musk, alleging that he was one of many who published derogatory and disrespectful information about her gender. Khelif faced cyber harassment after winning gold in the women’s 66 kg boxing at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Musk said on X (previously Twitter) that she was essentially male and should not participate in women’s sports. The protest cited an earlier disqualification from a 2023 contest due to testosterone levels, despite the fact that the International Olympic Committee authorized her to compete. Khelif blasted the mistreatment with racial, misogynistic, and false charges.
Imane Khelif Names J.K. Rowling in Cyberbullying Complaint
Following her Olympic victory, Imane Khelif filed a complaint against cyberbullying in France, citing the author, J.K. Rowling. Rowling had already put on X a photo of Khelif knocking him out, along with a statement implying that a man had just defeated a woman, causing widespread controversy. It was a comment that was consistent with Rowling’s past on gender and sex in sports, but it was interpreted as transphobic and defamatory. Khelif and her lawyers claimed that such statements constitute harassment and are part of a larger campaign of internet harassment that has harmed her dignity and well-being. The case highlights the growing challenges of gender conflict in competitive sports.
Imane Khelif vs Angela Carini
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif defeated Angela Carini of Italy in 46 seconds in her welterweight (66 kg) match at the Paris 2024 Olympics, eliciting a shocked reaction. Khelif started strong and launched attacks that overwhelmed Carini, forcing the referee to call a timeout. It was the fastest knockout in Olympic boxing history, demonstrating Khelif’s superior preparation, accuracy, and concentration. The game received international notice not just for its speed, but also for the gender eligibility problems. Khelif’s victory was regarded as both personal success and a powerful message about her place in the sport.
Imane Khelif Childhood Photos
The first images of Imane Khelif show a young determined girl who is already interested in athletics in Tiaret, Algeria. Her training background was extremely simple: as long as she earned an Olympic gold medal, she would box with males at local gyms long before she got the medal. These early images demonstrate her focused eyes and strong will, attributes that would later distinguish her as a worldwide star. These are unique aspects of her youth that fans like because they represent her roots, modesty, and the struggles she faced on her road to becoming a world champion in women’s boxing.
Faqs
Did Iman Khelif have a gender test?
Imane Khelif, an Olympic champion boxer, is disputing the global boxing federation’s decision to require gender tests to verify male and female boxers’ eligibility. In May, World Boxing announced that Khelif, an Algerian boxer, would be barred from competing in any World Boxing contests until she completed the necessary test.
Does Iman Khelif actually have XY chromosomes?
Khelif was born female, and no medical evidence that she had XY chromosomes or high testosterone levels has been revealed.
What is the issue with Iman Khelif?
Olympic boxer Imane Khelif initiates legal action over male chromosome claims. Imane Khelif, the boxer who won Olympic gold amid a gender eligibility controversy, is suing over media reports alleging that her medical records were leaked, according to the International Olympic Committee.
What did Elon Musk say about Iman Khelif?
X CEO Elon Musk and Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling also commented on the boxer, with Rowling claiming Khelif was “enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head” after the battle with Carini. Mr Musk retweeted a post by swimmer Riley Gaines stating that “men don’t belong in women’s sports”.
What was the announcement of Khelif?
In May, the governing body recommended mandatory sex tests for all athletes, explicitly mentioning Khelif, for which it later apologized. Khelif intends to defend her welterweight gold title at the LA Games.
Has someone with XY chromosomes ever been pregnant?
A case report of a patient with pure gonadal dysgenesis XY who became pregnant using donated oocytes is also presented. The pregnancy developed normally, and a healthy boy weighing 3820g/52cm was born at term via cesarean section.
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