Olympic champion Imane Khelif has threatened to sue a French journalist who published a leaked unverified medical report about her.
Khelif won gold in the women’s welterweight event in Paris this summer, but her participation in the games had been a point of contention.
This came after the International Boxing Association (IBA) disqualified her from the Women’s World Boxing Championships in 2023 regarding gender eligibility rules, claiming she failed a gender eligibility test.
However, Khelif insisted that she was a woman and her father even produced her birth certificate which said she was born a woman.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) repeatedly defended its right to compete during the games, while the test results and credibility of the IBA were also questioned.
Imane Khelif has threatened to sue a French journalist who published a leaked unverified medical report about her that alleged she had “male characteristics” and XY chromosomes.
Algerian boxer Khelif won gold in Paris in the women’s welterweight event this summer.
Her participation in the games had been a source of controversy, amid a ‘gender eligibility dispute’.
Then, earlier this month, a report in French magazine Le Correspondant, which has yet to be confirmed as legitimate, alleged that the 25-year-old has “male characteristics” and XY chromosomes, something Khelif has repeatedly denied.
And the Algerian once again defended her position and attacked the claims.
Appearing on the program Lo Stato delle Cose with Massimo Giletti on Italian television, he said: “I did not know President Meloni’s statements, but I saw that many politicians and presidents speak without any real source.”
“We will meet the French journalist in court.”
The reference to Giorgia Meloni, the president of Italy, is also linked to a larger controversy surrounding Khelif in Paris.
Her second-round opponent, Angela Carini, who is Italian, retired from the fight 46 seconds later.citing pain in his nose and reportedly insisting that he had “never felt a punch like this.”
The fight with Carini fueled the furor surrounding Khelif after she He hit his opponent twice in the first round.
The blows seemed to rip off the chin of the Italian boxer, who approached her corner.
Khelif also sent a message to Italian Angela Carini, who pulled out of her fight in Paris.
Carini left the fight after 46 seconds and was left crying after his defeat.
Khelif insisted that Carini – who refused to shake his hand – “is and will remain a friend”
Carini returned to the center of the ring and abandoned the fight, leading to Khelif being declared the winner.
The Italian boxer, who stated before the fight that she “could only adapt to the rules of the Olympic Games”, was seen crying in the center of the ring after the abrupt end of the fight and refused to shake her opponent’s hand.
He later said: “It could have been the match of my life, but I had to preserve my life at that time too.”
Carini later apologized for the way he acted and expressed his sympathy for Khelif, but Meloni was one of many who expressed concern about the Algerian’s presence in Paris.
But, when asked about the issue, Khelif insisted that he does not hold a grudge against Carini for her actions.
“I have nothing against Angela Carini,” he explained. ‘She is a boxer, a young girl. I have nothing against people who pressure her to behave that way, I don’t think she behaved that way of her own free will.
‘I’m sure the pressure she was put under led her to this behavior. I want to send a message to Angela, I want to tell her that she is a friend and will continue to be a friend, the apologies were accepted from the bottom of my heart.
“I wish you much success, people can make mistakes but we must learn from our mistakes.”
Khelif has repeatedly said that she is a woman and her father even presented her birth certificate.
Khelif also spoke about the impact of all the scrutiny and criticism he has faced since rising to fame in Paris.
“My parents have seen a lot of fake images,” he added. ‘The war against me through social media has had a negative impact.
‘We need to understand who the people are who have done these things. Those who have done it are not people of substance.
‘I have seen that there are many politicians and presidents who speak without a source and it is something strange, because they make statements without foundation, without reality. The IOC has all the tools to make a real decision.
‘Anyone who is exposed to this harassment and hate will find it harder to win. But I have learned a lot from this experience. The more a person desires success, the easier it is for him to achieve it.’
Meanwhile, the unverified leaked medical report was said to be a collaboration between French and Algerian expert endocrinologists working at the Kremlin-Bicetre hospital in Paris and the Mohamed Lamine Debaghine hospital in Algiers.
But Jacques Young, an endocrinologist at Bicetre Hospital in Paris and co-author of the paper, told DW in Germany that he feels his name is being used to spread false information.
In a statement to D.W.the Algerian Olympic Committee also stated: “These attacks, often based on unfounded accusations, aim to tarnish the image of an athlete who has honored our nation on the international stage.”
Carini had initially apologized for his initial reaction after the fight with the Algerian.
Khelif also spoke about the impact the scrutiny he has faced has had on his life.
“We firmly condemn these attempts at destabilization, which have no place in the world of sport.”
The IOC said it “will not comment while legal actions are ongoing or on media reports about unverified documents whose origin cannot be confirmed.” He then repeated a statement issued after the controversy at the Paris Olympics.
“We understand that Imane Khelif has taken legal action against people who commented on her situation during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and is also preparing a lawsuit in response to the latest reports,” an IOC spokesperson said.
“The IOC will not comment while legal actions are ongoing or on media reports about unverified documents whose origin cannot be confirmed.”
The statement noted that Khelif had been competing in women’s boxing “for many years,” including at the previous Games in Tokyo, as well as IBA-sanctioned events.
Amid the backlash Khelif received during the Games, his father gave an emotional statement to Sky Sports.
‘My daughter is a girl. She was raised as a girl. She is a strong girl. I raised her to be hardworking and brave. He really wants to work and train,” he said.