Who is Imane Khelif: the Algerian Olympic boxer who has male chromosomes

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif is in the middle of a gender eligibility controversy, and the temperature of the drama only rose after a victory over an Italian boxer at the Paris Olympics on August 1.

Khelif is taking part in the Olympics for the second time. The boxer fought for Algeria at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, when they were held in 2021. But since then, Khelif has been in the middle of a drama.

Here's what you need to know about Khelif and the subject.

—

Vital parts

Imane Khelif of Algeria is seen before her fight against Angela Carini of Italy on August 1, 2024 in Paris. (Reuters/Isabel Infantes)

Khelif is a 25-year-old boxer from Tiaret, Algeria. Khelif, who is currently a UNICEF ambassador, grew up in a rural village in the province and has been outspoken about his interest in the sport. Khelif's father “did not approve of girls taking up boxing,” according to UNICEF.

Khelif was able to start training for boxing sessions by selling scrap metal for recycling.

Boxing career

Algeria's head coach Mohamed Al-Shawa assists Imane Khelif before the match against Angela Carini of Team Italy during the Paris Olympics on August 1, 2024. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

Khelif made her debut on the amateur world stage at age 19 and placed 17th at the 2018 World Championships, sanctioned by the International Boxing Association (IBA), then known as AIBA.

Khelif finished 19th at the 2019 Women's World Boxing Championships. The Algerian fighter competed at the 2020 Olympics and reached the quarter-finals before losing to Ireland's Kellie Harrington.

But in 2022, Khelif finished second at the Women's World Boxing Championships after being defeated by Amy Broadhurst. Khelif won gold medals at the 2022 African Championships, the Mediterranean Games and the 2023 Arab Games.

The 2023 Women's World Boxing Championship is the root of controversy for Khelif.

Gender controversy

Imane Khelif of Algeria celebrates after winning against Mariem Homrani Ep Zayan of Tunisia after their fight during the Tokyo Olympics on July 30, 2021. (Buda Mendes/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Khelif was disqualified from the 2023 championships ahead of a gold medal match over gender eligibility issues. IBA President Umar Kremlev issued a statement to Russia's TASS Agency on the reason for Khelif's disqualification.

“Based on DNA analysis, we have identified several athletes who tried to deceive their colleagues by pretending to be women. The results of the analysis showed that they had XY chromosomes. These athletes were excluded from the competition,” Kremlev said.

The Algerian Olympic Committee said at the time that Khelif was disqualified for “medical reasons.” Algerian media reported that Khelif was disqualified for high testosterone levels, according to Reuters.

“There are countries that did not want Algeria to win a gold medal,” Khelif told Algerian television Ennahar. “It is a conspiracy, a big conspiracy, and we will not remain silent about it.”

The drama is renewed

Imane Khelif of Algeria and Angela Carini of Italy are pictured after their fight on August 1, 2024 in Paris. (Reuters/Isabel Infantes)

Khelif qualified for the Paris Olympics and the controversy over the boxer's gender was renewed.

International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams attempted to explain.

“Everyone competing in the women's category complies with the eligibility rules of the competition,” she said this week. “They are women on their passports and it says so, that they are women.”

The IBA released a new statement ahead of Khelif's fight and explained why the fighter was disqualified.

“On 24 March 2023, the IBA disqualified athletes Lin Yu-ting and Imane Khelif from the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships New Delhi 2023,” the IBA said. “This disqualification was a result of their failure to meet the eligibility criteria to participate in the women's competition, as set out and prescribed in the IBA Rules. This decision, taken after a meticulous review, was extremely important and necessary to maintain the level of fairness and the highest integrity of the competition.”

“It is important to note that the athletes did not undergo a testosterone test, but rather an independent and recognised test, the details of which are kept confidential,” the IBA statement continued. “This test conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors.”

The IBA said Khelif underwent two tests: one in 2022 and the other in 2023. The IBA said Khelif appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but withdrew during the process, making the “IBA decision legally binding.”

“Our committees have rigorously reviewed and endorsed the decision taken during the World Championships,” the IBA said. “While the IBA remains committed to ensuring competitive fairness in all our events, we express our concerns about the inconsistent application of eligibility criteria by other sports organisations, including those overseeing the Olympic Games. The differing IOC regulations on these matters, in which the IBA is not involved, raise serious questions about competitive fairness and athlete safety.”

The IOC responded with a statement on Thursday, defending its eligibility requirements and maintaining that Khelif met all requirements.

“These two athletes were 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.”

Khelif vs Carini

Angela Carini of Italy is seen during her match against Imane Khelif of Algeria on August 1, 2024, in Paris. (Fabio Bozzani/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Khelif defeated Italy's Angela Carini in 46 seconds in her 66-kilogram division on August 1.

Carini was punched in the face and called a timeout to allow his trainers to adjust his helmet. After the second punch, Carini left the fight.

After the fight, Carini was heard yelling at his trainers in Italian, questioning the fairness of the fight. He later broke his silence on why he walked out of the bout.

“I got into the ring to fight,” he said, according to Italian news agency ANSA. “I didn't give up, but one punch hurt me too much, so I said enough.”

“I leave with my head held high.”

Khelif celebrated on Instagram, writing in a post “first win.”

Khelif's boxing record

Imane Khelif of Algeria is shown during her fight against Angela Carini of Italy (not shown) during the Paris Olympics on August 1, 2024. (Fabio Bozzani/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Khelif has a record of 37-9 with five knockouts at the amateur level. Khelif has not lost since May 2022 against Broadhurst. The 2023 World Championship matches were declared no-contests.