Algeria condemns leaked unverified medical report regarding gender of boxer Imane Khelif

Algeria’s Olympic Committee (COA) has strongly denounced the circulation of an unverified medical report that questions the gender of Imane Khelif, a gold medalist in women’s boxing at the Paris Olympics. The leaked report alleges that Khelif has testes and no uterus, claims that the COA has dismissed as baseless.

“These attacks, often founded on unsubstantiated allegations, seek to tarnish the reputation of an athlete who has brought pride to our nation on the global stage,” the COA said in a statement to Deutsche Welle. “We firmly condemn these destabilizing attempts, which have no place in the sporting world.”

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), which supported Khelif during the Olympic Games amid similar controversies, stated that it cannot comment on "unverified documents whose origin cannot be confirmed."

The medical assessment in question that has been widely shared on social media reportedly took place in June 2023. That same year, Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting were disqualified from the International Boxing Association (IBA) championships, which are overseen by Russian authorities, for allegedly failing gender tests. However, the IBA did not present any evidence to substantiate the disqualifications.

Khelif, who has consistently identified as a woman, continues to face online harassment following the leak. The IOC expects that she will pursue legal action to address the situation and confront those responsible for the leak.