Algerian boxer Imane Khelif clinched gold in the women’s 66kg welterweight division at the Paris 2024 Olympics, triumphing over China’s Yang Liu. But her historic win has been overshadowed by a storm of controversy tied to gender eligibility questions.
Before the 2023 World Championships, Khelif reportedly failed a confidential, gender-related test conducted by the International Boxing Association (IBA), casting doubts over her participation in women’s competitions. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) later declared the IBA’s testing process invalid and confirmed that Khelif met all medical and eligibility criteria for the Olympics.
Despite the IOC’s ruling, World Boxing—the emerging body taking over after the IBA’s suspension—has asked Khelif to undergo DNA testing before competing again. Until she complies, she remains sidelined from official competition. The organization has since issued an apology for publicly identifying her in its request.
Khelif’s father has firmly stated that she was born and raised female. Still, IBA chairman Umar Kremlev has controversially called on her to relinquish her Olympic gold—despite no formal ruling demanding it.
While two other Olympic boxers have previously lost their medals, Khelif’s case stands apart—raising fresh questions about fairness, transparency, and the evolving definitions of eligibility in women’s sports.
By contrast, previous Olympic boxing medal revocations were due to clear and well-documented rule violations. Russian boxer Misha Aloian was stripped of his 2016 men’s 52kg flyweight silver medal after testing positive for a banned stimulant. Over a century earlier, American boxer Jack Egan lost his 1904 silver and bronze medals for competing under a false name—a direct violation of the Amateur Athletic Union’s rules at the time. Unlike these cases, Imane Khelif’s situation remains mired in ambiguity, with no confirmed rule breach, fueling a broader debate over fairness and gender in elite sports.