Gender Identity and Sport: Algerian Olympic Champion Imane Khelif Responds to Attacks

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, a gold medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, is the subject of intense controversy over her gender. Accused by some of having “cheated” by competing in the women’s category, the athlete is now engaged in a legal battle to deal with the allegations circulating about her.

Since the Paris Games, Imane Khelif has been the target of attacks fueled by an alleged medical report revealing that she has XY chromosomes, a trait generally associated with the male sex. These claims, relayed by media outlets such as Reduxx and Le Correspondant, have sent shockwaves through public opinion. These publications claim that Khelif suffers from a 5-alpha reductase deficiency, a disorder of sexual development, and that she was born with biological characteristics specific to men.

However, this information remains controversial. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has confirmed that Imane Khelif meets the criteria to compete in women's events and has expressed its support for the athlete by deploring the attacks she has suffered. Health experts, particularly in endocrinology, have also clarified that an XY karyotype does not necessarily imply that the person is male. Professor Rodolfo Rey explained that sex at birth is often determined by the appearance of the external genitalia, and that people can have an XY karyotype while developing female due to other biological variations.

In this context, Imane Khelif decided to retaliate by filing a complaint for online harassment. The IOC specified that the athlete is also considering legal action against the media that published unverified documents, claiming that medical information about her file had been leaked without authorization.

Since her return to Algeria, Khelif has received a triumphant welcome, and she has proudly declared herself to be “a strong woman with special powers,” reaffirming her identity in the face of criticism. She recalled that, until the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, her participation in women’s competitions had never sparked controversy.