Boxing Association Calls For Imane Khelif To Return Olympic Gold Medal Amid Gender Controversy
The International Boxing Association is calling for the Algerian to return the gold medal.
The International Boxing Association (IBA) is calling on Algerian boxer Imane Khelif to return the Olympic gold medal they won in women's boxing during the 2024 Games in Paris. The motion comes on the heels of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announcing plans to address transgender athletes in female categories.
Khelif's gender became the story of the Paris Olympics a year ago after it was discovered that the boxer had failed a gender eligibility test that kept them from competing in the 2023 World Championships, a decision made by the IBA.
A leaked 2023 medical test administered by the IBA revealed that Khelif, who has declared they are not transgender, is allegedly a biological male based on the presence of a male karyotype. Umar Kremlev, president of the IBA, has been adamant that Khelif should not have been eligible to compete in the women's boxing division during the 2024 Games, and is now calling for action to be taken.
"I am not satisfied. A medal should be won on real merit," Kremlev said during an interview with SunSport. "We must protect athletes and ensure a level playing field for all. Now that the truth has come out, that medal should be returned to its rightful owner – a real woman."
It's important to note that the IOC stopped recognizing the IBA, which has strong ties to Russia, in 2023 after multiple controversies involving the organization over the years. It's also worth mentioning the obvious that the IOC isn't exactly the gold standard of governing bodies either; Russian doping scandals immediately come to mind.
Imane Khelif won gold in women's boxing in 2024. (Photo by Annice Lyn/ANOC via Getty Images)
Others have called for retroactive action to be taken to strip Khelif of the 2024 gold medal, but new IOC president Kirsty Coventry has said no such action would be taken. Coventry has been open about protecting female athletes moving forward.
"It was agreed by the members that the IOC should take a leading role in this," Coventry said during the livestreamed meeting, according to The Guardian. "And that we should be the ones to bring together the experts and the international federations and ensure that we find consensus.
"We understand that there will be differences depending on the sports. But it was fully agreed that as members, as the IOC, we should make the effort to place emphasis on protection of the female category."
Khelif defeated Yang Liu of China to win gold in Paris.