Algerian Boxing Federation issues new statement on Imane Khelif amid calls for Olympic gold medal to be stripped
The Algerian Boxing Federation has issued a statement regarding claims that Imane Khelif could be stripped of her Olympic gold medal.
Khelif, 26, won women’s welterweight gold at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024.
However, her triumph was marred by controversy about her gender.
The Algerian has never suggested she is anything but female, but had previously been banned from competing at the 2023 World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) for allegedly failing gender eligibility tests, as reported by BBC Sport.
Advert
However, Khelif was clear to box at the Olympics as the 2024 Games were governed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) rather than the IBA.
The IOC classifies gender based on one’s passport, which in Khelif’s case says she’s female.
But World Boxing require athletes to take a mandatory sex test to fight at competitions governed by the body.
A statement posted to their website reads: “World Boxing plans to introduce mandatory sex testing as part of a new eligibility policy it is developing on ‘Sex, Age and Weight’ that is designed to ensure a competitive level playing field for all men and women.”
Some have called for her Olympic gold medal to be stripped, but there is no indication that this will happen.
"The IOC has always made it clear that eligibility criteria are the responsibility of the respective International Federation," an IOC spokesperson said on Tuesday (June 3).
"The factors that matter to sports performance are unique to each sport, discipline, and/or event. We await the full details how sex testing will be implemented in a safe, fair and legally enforceable way."
Also on Tuesday, World Boxing apologised for naming Khelif in the governing body's announcement of mandatory sex testing.
As per BBC Sport, World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst has since written to the Algerian Boxing Federation to apologise after acknowledging that "the athlete's privacy should have been protected".
On Thursday (June 5), it was reported by ITV that the Algerian Boxing Federation’s president had penned a letter in response to World Boxing, stating that naming Khelif had “created psychological damage to our athlete” and that the “consequences are immeasurable”.
The letter also explained how the organisation would not “examine” any previous results, suggesting that they will also stand – including Khelif’s Olympic triumph.
Luke Davies