Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif has hit back at “false and offensive” allegations after the International Boxing Association announced legal action against the International Olympic Committee over her participation in the Paris Games.
The Algerian gold medallist issued a forceful response on Tuesday evening, vowing to “pursue all available legal avenues” to defend her rights.
“This is a matter that concerns not just me but the broader principles of fairness and due process in sport,” Khelif said in a statement posted on social media.
The dispute centres on the IBA’s claims regarding gender eligibility for women’s boxing events at last year’s Olympics.
The IBA revealed that they would file criminal complaints against the IOC over Imane Khelif
PA
The IBA announced on Monday it would file criminal complaints against the IOC in Switzerland, France and the United States.
The boxing body, led by Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev, cited US President Donald Trump’s recent executive order banning transgender women from sports to justify its legal action.
The complaints specifically named Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, who both won gold in Paris.
The IBA claimed the IOC’s decision to allow both athletes to compete and win medals “may serve as grounds for criminal prosecution”.
Trump had referred to Khelif as “a male boxer” in his speech after signing the executive order last week.
The IOC has consistently maintained that both Khelif and Lin Yu-ting were eligible to compete, stating they were “born as women, were raised as women, and have competed in the women’s category for their entire boxing careers”.
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Both athletes previously competed at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, though neither won medals at that time.
The IBA, which was excluded from the Olympic movement in 2019 over financial and ethical irregularities, had barred both boxers from its 2023 world championships after claiming they failed gender eligibility tests.
The IOC subsequently took control of boxing at the Paris Games, clearing both athletes to participate.
“I have been knocked down more times than I can count. But I have never stayed down,” Khelif declared in her statement.
Imane Khelif won a gold medal at Paris 2024
Reuters
“I have fought through every setback, every false accusation, every attempt to erase me. And I have won,” she added.
The Olympic champion emphasised that “silence is no longer an option” after two years of taking “the high road”.
“I will fight in the ring, I will fight in the courts, and I will fight in the public eye until the truth is undeniable,” Khelif stated.
She insisted those responsible “must be held accountable” while her team reviews the situation for legal action.
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Imane Khelif was called ‘a male boxer’ by US president Donald Trump
PA
The IOC dismissed the IBA’s lawsuit as part of an “ongoing campaign” against them since the boxing body’s Olympic recognition was withdrawn.
Switzerland’s Attorney General’s office has confirmed receiving the IBA’s complaint.
The IBA said on Wednesday it welcomed Khelif’s intention to file a lawsuit, claiming it would give them the opportunity to prove she was ineligible for female boxing events.
With boxing’s Olympic future uncertain, the sport has not been included in the Los Angeles 2028 programme.
The IOC has urged national federations to establish a new global boxing body or risk permanent Olympic exclusion.