Algerian Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif has declared her willingness to undergo sex verification testing under International Olympic Committee protocols to secure her participation in the 2028 Los Angeles Games. The welterweight champion, who triumphed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, continues to face intense scrutiny regarding her gender eligibility in women’s boxing.
The controversy traces back to 2023 when both Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting faced disqualification from the World Championships after the International Boxing Association (IBA) alleged they had failed gender eligibility assessments. The IOC, which had revoked IBA’s recognition that same year, subsequently cleared Khelif for Olympic competition in Paris.
In a recent CNN interview, the 26-year-old athlete asserted her biological womanhood and distanced herself from transgender identity claims. “I’m not transgender. I’m a woman,” Khelif stated emphatically. “I have nothing to hide and would accept any testing required by the IOC to compete.” She added a poignant appeal: “They should protect women, but they need to pay attention that while protecting women, they shouldn’t hurt other women.”
The political dimension emerged when former US President Donald Trump referenced Khelif as a “male boxer” while defending his executive order barring transgender women from female sports categories. Khelif responded to such characterization by urging against her exploitation in political agendas.
The regulatory landscape shifted in February 2025 when the IOC granted provisional recognition to World Boxing as the sport’s new international governing body. This organization implemented mandatory genetic testing to determine athletes’ sex at birth and competition eligibility, specifically citing Khelif’s case before subsequently issuing an apology.
In August 2025, Khelif formally appealed World Boxing’s testing mandate through the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with proceedings currently pending. This ongoing legal challenge underscores the complex intersection of athletic regulation, human rights, and scientific verification in contemporary sports governance.