Exposed to the media during the Paris Olympic Games, boxer Imane Khelif was the victim of a campaign of hate and misinformation about her gender. The Algerian boxer, gold medalist in the less than 66 kg category, is preparing legal action after the publication of articles that seek to reveal her medical record, the International Committee of the Olympic Games (IOC) learned on Wednesday, November 6.
“We understand that Imane Khelif has taken legal action against those who commented on her situation during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and is also preparing actions in response to the latest press reports.”writes the IOC in a press release. “The IOC will not comment while legal action is pending, nor on media reports of unverified documents whose origin cannot be confirmed. »
Francophone online media the correspondent He recently revived the controversy, stating in an article published at the end of October that Khelif was a carrier of male XY chromosomes. The media claim that they are based on an unauthenticated report that would have been prepared by the Kremlin-Bicètre hospital, in the Paris region, and the Mohamed Lamine Debaghine hospital, in Algiers.
Open investigation
During the Paris Olympic Games, the boxer involuntarily found herself at the center of a controversy about her gender, carried out by conservative circles. This has its origins in her exclusion from the world boxing championship held in March 2023. According to the International Boxing Federation (IBA), Imane Khelif had failed a test intended to determine her gender.
Not recognized by the Olympic world, the IBA refused to specify what type of test it had carried out, while the IOC had estimated that it could participate in the Games in the women’s tournament. The Algerian boxer had been the victim of attacks on social networks, marked by racism, presenting her as a “man fighting women”.
“I am a strong woman with special powers. From the ring I sent a message to those who were against me.”Imane Khelif reacted after her victory. In the past, Khelif has always participated in women’s boxing tournaments, including during the 2020 Olympic Games, without her participation causing the slightest controversy.
“The IOC is saddened by the attacks to which Imane Khelif is currently being subjected”added the Olympic body, specifying: “As in previous Olympic boxing competitions, the sex and age of the athletes were determined based on their passport information. » French justice opened an investigation in August after a complaint of aggravated cyberbullying filed by the young woman.
