Controversial Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has admitted to having a male chromosome for the first time since her scandalous march to gold at the Paris Olympics in 2024. In a recent interview with the French sports outlet L’Equipe, Khelif also acknowledged elevated testosterone levels, which she says she has been medically suppressing under a doctor’s supervision.
In the interview, Khelif confirmed that she has the SRY gene carried on a Y chromosome. ‘SRY’ stands for Sex-determining Region of the Y, a gene that initiates typical male sexual development by triggering testes formation.
Khelif also clarified that she is not transgender and pointed to her upbringing as a ‘girl’, stating: ‘I am not a trans woman, I am a girl. I was raised as a girl, I grew up as a girl, the people in my village have always known me as a girl.’ Khelif is believed to have Disorders of Sexual Development (DSD), which can result in a physical competitive advantage over biological women.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed Khelif to compete at the Paris Olympics in the women’s 66 kg category, despite her previous disqualification from the World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) after tests indicated the presence of a Y chromosome, giving her an unfair advantage over her opponents. Her first match against Angela Carini ended with the Italian boxer giving up after 46 seconds and refusing to shake hands with Khelif.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said at the time that ‘athletes who have male genetic characteristics should not be admitted to women’s competitions…from my point of view it was not an even contest’.
Khelif’s next opponent was Hungarian boxer Luca Hámori, whom she defeated 5–0 in the quarter-finals.
Before the match, the Hungarian Olympic Committee (MOB) initiated discussions with the IOC’s sports director to address the situation created by Khelif’s participation. The IOC defended Khelif and her counterpart, stating that their exclusion from the World Championships by the IBA had been unjust and carried out without due process. The IOC emphasized that the boxers are listed as women in their passports, have competed in IBA women’s events for years, and meet all Olympic eligibility criteria. It further clarified that participation criteria cannot be altered mid-competition.
Khelif’s participation at the Olympics sparked international outrage, particularly among prominent right-wing figures such as Tesla and X owner Elon Musk, US President Donald Trump, and Harry Potter author JK Rowling.
‘Khelif expressed optimism about her career and insisted she intends to defend her Olympic gold in Los Angeles in 2028’
In her interview with L’Equipe, Khelif expressed optimism about her career and insisted she intends to defend her Olympic gold in Los Angeles in 2028. However, she does not acknowledge that, as a direct result of the controversy surrounding her participation in Paris, World Boxing introduced mandatory sex testing for all competitors in its events last year. World Boxing is the international governing body for the sport and is currently the IOC’s official partner federation for Olympic boxing.
Khelif has filed a complaint with the Court of Arbitration for Sport against World Boxing over its sex-testing policy, but has said she would be willing to undergo testing ‘only if it is administered by the IOC’.
Khelif’s admission is another setback for the progressive camp and its allied media, which tried everything in their power to justify her participation in the women’s category and labelled as ‘fascists’ all those who questioned their narrative.
Related articles:
