Disqualification and IOC Support

Earlier this year, Imane Khelif was disqualified from the women’s World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) after failing a gender eligibility test. Despite this, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has strongly backed her participation in the 2024 Olympic Games.

Olympic Performance and Controversy

Khelif recently won her opening Olympic boxing match when her opponent, Angela Carini, withdrew after just 46 seconds. However, her previous disqualification has made her presence at the Paris Olympics a divisive issue. The controversy centers around a failed gender eligibility test, which indicated elevated testosterone levels, leading to claims that she had competitive advantages over other female boxers.

Political and Social Reactions

The situation has attracted significant attention, including from Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who expressed concerns over fairness in women’s sports.

Meloni stated, “I believe athletes with male genetic characteristics should not compete against women, not to discriminate but to protect female athletes’ rights to fair competition”.

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Khelif’s Background and Future Matches

Khelif is a skilled amateur boxer who won a silver medal at the 2022 World Championships. The IBA’s decision in 2023 to disqualify her cited competitive advantages linked to her failed test.

This decision has been contentious, with IOC spokesperson Mark Adams emphasizing that Khelif “was born as a woman, is registered as a woman, has lived her life as a woman, and competes as a woman.” Adams added that the debate surrounding Khelif should not be framed as a transgender issue.