After stirring the greatest controversy in an Olympic Games full of controversy in Paris last summer, the Algerian boxer Imane Khelif plans to do everything again in 2028.
The gold medalist told ITV in an exclusive interview that the athlete plans to compete in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, which will be the first summer games in the United States since 1996. The 2028 games will also come in the last year of the term of President Donald Trump, which until now has been partially defined by the strict policies of gender eligibility in women’s sports.
Khelif developed international outrage in Paris during a race towards a gold medal in female boxing despite being previously disqualified from the World Boxing Association World Championship in 2023 for gender edibility issues. The president of IBA, Umar Kremlev, issued a statement to the Russian Tass agency about why Khelif was disqualified.
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Imane Khelif, right, from Algeria competes against Luca Anna Hamori de Hungary. (Sina Schuldt/Picture Alliance through Getty Images)
“According to DNA tests, we identified several athletes who tried to deceive their colleagues to pass through women. According to the results of the tests, it was shown that they had XY chromosomes. Such athletes were excluded from the competition,” Kremlev said.
It has not been shown that Khelif is transgender.
The Algerian Olympic Committee said at that time that Khelif was disqualified for “medical reasons.” The Algerian media reported that Khelif was disqualified for high levels of testosterone, according to Reuters. Khelif said that disqualification was part of a “conspiracy” to prevent Algeria from winning gold.
However, Khelif was allowed to compete in Paris, and had the full support of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and President Thomas Bach. As a result, the boxer caused a violent reaction of those who believed that Khelif should not be able to compete in the category of women based on their past gender eligibility problems.
Those critics included Trump, billionaire Elon Musk and author JK Rowling. Khelif has filed a lawsuit in France citing “acts of aggravated cyber harassment” about the public response to his participation.
“When I saw that even the state heads, the famous figures and the old athletes talked about me without having verified facts, I was surprised,” Khelif told ITV.
Riley Gaines calls the boxer to the ‘hero’ woman to lose the game against the fighter with XY chromosomes, Slams IOC
Imane Khelif de Algeria, on the right, looks at Angela Carini in Italy after her preliminary boxing match of 66 kg of women at the Summer Olympic Games, on August 1, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/John Locher)
“They were talking just to speak without any reliable or documented information. I also noticed on social networks that people were discussing the problem without any reliable source. That was what affected me the most at the beginning. Why me, Iman Khelif, the goal of such campaign?”
Khelif also told ITV that the reaction affected the health of the athlete’s mother.
“It affected me mentally, as well as my family. Even my mother was deeply affected. I went to the hospital almost every day. My relatives were also affected, and the entire Algerian people felt the weight of the situation. This went beyond a sports problem or a game; he intensified in an important media campaign that could have had a severe negative effect on me, my family and my psychological well -being,” she said.
“I was mentally affected and I felt discouraged, but I was still aware of what was happening. Even during the Paris Olympic Games, I had a team of specialized doctors who gave me support and assistance. Without their support, I could have fallen into a spiral of depression.”
But that does not prevent Khelif from competing again in 2028, even with possible more strict gender eligibility policies in his place.
Trump has already signed an executive order that prohibits trans athletes from women and girls sports throughout the country, and said that National Secretary of National Security Kristi Noem will be ordered to keep trans athletes out of the country for the 2028 Olympic Games.
Imane Khelif of Algeria, Right and Angela Carini of Italy are shown after her fight. (Reuters/Isabel Infantes)
However, Khelif states that these policies do not apply to the athlete.
“I will give you a direct answer: the president of the United States issued a decision related to transgender policies in the United States. I am not transgender. This does not worry me, and I am not intimidated. That is my answer,” Khelif told ITV.
“For me, I see myself like a girl, like any other girl. I was born a girl, raised as a girl and I have lived my whole life as one.”
With Bach ready to leave office this year, the next president of the IOC can also achieve a different position to the Committee’s gender eligibility policy. A potential successor is the former Olympic gold medalist Sebastian Coe.
COE published his manifesto for his vision as president of the IOC, and emphasizes the importance of Protection of female athletes.
He previously said in a November interview with the BBC that the situation involving Khelif made him feel “uncomfortable.”
