A leaked medical report has revealed that Algerian female boxer Imane Khelif, who recently won gold in women’s boxing at the Paris Olympics, has XY chromosomes and internal testicles. Confirming her to be a man.
The report, accessed by French journalist Djaffar Ait Aoudia, was drafted in June 2023 by experts at Paris’ Kremlin-Bicêtre Hospital and Algiers’ Mohamed Lamine Debaghine Hospital. The findings indicate that Khelif has 5-alpha reductase deficiency, a condition affecting sexual development found in biological males. According to the report, Khelif has no uterus and possesses internal testicles, with an MRI further identifying a “microp*nis.” as reported by reduxx.
Khelif’s coach, Georges Cazorla, had previously acknowledged that a chromosomal issue was identified after an assessment by the International Boxing Association (IBA) in March 2023, which initially disqualified Khelif from competing in women’s events. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed Khelif to participate, since the only eligibility requirement for women’s boxing was a female sex marker on legal documents. Khelif’s participation in the Olympics has since attracted criticism, with ICONS (Independent Council on Women’s Sports) co-founder Marshi Smith condemning the IOC and Algerian Olympic Committee, saying, “The IOC and the Algerian Olympic Committee are complicit in endorsing male violence against women… All those involved must face swift and serious consequences.” according to reduxx.
Alan Abrahamson, an IOC press committee member, also confirmed Khelif’s chromosomal status, stating that he had seen the tests from 2022 and 2023, which “concluded the boxer’s DNA was that of a male consisting of XY chromosomes.” Smith and others have called for Khelif to be stripped of the medal, criticizing the IOC’s current policies. The controversy has sparked a global conversation about the standards and fairness in women’s sports.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
