Imane Khelif 'declared male': Why was Algerian boxer allowed to ...
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The latest gender controversy surrounding Imane Khelif erupted after a leaked medical report. Image: Reuters
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, whose gender identity was questioned as she won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024, is once again facing scrutiny after a leaked medical report alleged that the 25-year-old has internal testicles and an XY chromosome makeup which means she is not eligible to take part in female competitions.
Khelif was first embroiled in a controversy after she defeated Italy’s Angela Carini in just 46 seconds during the round of 16 welterweight bout in the Paris Olympics 2024. Khelif’s blistering win led to allegations that she was a man competing in female competitions. The basis of those allegations was her suspension by the International Boxing Association (IBA) in 2023 after she allegedly failed a chromosome test.
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Despite this Khelif was allowed to participate in the Paris Olympics 2024 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as she went on to win the gold by beating Yang Liu in the 66kg final.
Why was Imane Khelif suspended by IBA in 2023?IBA suspended Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting during the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships New Delhi 2023 after they allegedly failed a gender eligibility test.
“Point to note, the athletes did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test, whereby the specifics remain confidential. This test conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors,” IBA said in a press release.
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Why IOC allow Imane Khelif to take part in the Paris Olympics 2024?The IBA was suspended by the IOC in 2023 on charges of corruption and governance issues. The global Olympics body also allowed Khelif and Yu-ting to participate in the Paris 2024.
Both Khelif and Yu-ting were born a cis woman and assigned the female gender on their passports, which is the criteria IOC uses to determine the eligibility of an athlete to take part in female events.
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What is IOC’s stand on Imane Khelif’s failing gender eligibility tests conducted by the IBA?The IOC has already said that the gender eligibility tests conducted by the IBA on Khelif and Yu-ting were illegitimate and lacked credibility. IOC said that the tests were arbitrary as they were conducted towards the end of the competition in 2023 when both boxers had already fought multiple bouts.
“Those tests are not legitimate tests. The tests themselves, the process of the tests, the ad hoc nature of the tests are not legitimate,” IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said earlier this year.
“The testing, the method of the testing, the idea of the testing which happened kind of overnight. None of it is legitimate and this does not deserve any response,” Adams added.
What does the leaked medical report say about Imane Khelif?The leaked medical report, which was reportedly accessed by French journalist Djaffar Ait Aoudia, says that Khelif suffers from 5-alpha reductase deficiency, a sexual development disorder found in genetic males. The MRI which is part of the medical report says that Khelif lacks a uterus, has internal testes, and a “micropenis” resembling an enlarged clitoris.
It further states that the chromosome tests confirmed an XY karyotype and a hormone analysis indicated testosterone levels within the typical male range.
The authenticity of the medical report has still not been verified.
