The Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was one of the most controversial athletes at the Olympics. There was a gender debate and controversy about her right to compete. She won gold, but not the fight against the doubts about herself. Two reports now provide new material for discussion.
She won gold in women’s boxing as a “male” boxer at the Olympic Games in Paris – and caused a huge discussion. Now evidence has emerged to prove: Is Imane Khelif from Algeria a man after all?
The French-language research magazine “Le correspondant” provides details from the 25-year-old’s medical records with two medical reports from 2023. The examinations revealed that Khelif has neither ovaries nor a uterus – but does have internal testicles and a penis-like clitoris and a deformed vagina. Also in the report: Khelif’s parents may be related by blood.
According to the medical records, two hospitals came to this conclusion: the Kremlin-Bicètre Hospital in Paris and the Mohamed Lamine-Debaghine Hospital in Algiers. Professors Soumaya Fedala and Jacques Young are behind the research.
They discover that Khelif has a so-called “5a-reductase-2 deficiency”. This is a sexual development outside the norm that can only occur in biological men. Because the testicles are located inside, newborns are often identified as girls. However, male puberty sets in later and the sex hormone testosterone is released more frequently. The report also states that Khelif suffers from depression and underwent hormone therapy before the Olympics.
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The two reports are part of Khelif’s medical file. The IOC nevertheless allowed the athlete to compete at the Olympic Games in Paris and also cited the gender in Khelif’s passport. There she is identified as a woman.
The debate was sparked by the Italian boxer Angela Carini. She gave up her fight against Khelif at the Olympics after 46 seconds and refused to shake hands. The most prominent public critics included US presidential candidate Donald Trump, Tesla billionaire Elon Musk and “Harry Potter” best-selling author Joanne K. Rowling. Khelif’s lawyer responded with a serious cyber-harassment lawsuit filed after the games in France.
The boxer had already been suspended in 2023 by the boxing association IBA, which was suspected of corruption. The IBA had carried out a gender test on her, which allegedly found that she had both an X and a Y chromosome – normally only found in men. At the Olympics, however, the boxing tournament is not organized by the IBA and Khelif was allowed to start normally – and triumph.
It is not yet clear whether the IOC will subsequently initiate an investigation and revoke the gold medal. But it is considered unlikely.
