Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has delivered a clear message to critics including Donald Trump ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The 26-year-old athlete was controversially disqualified from a World Championships event in 2023 after allegedly failing a gender eligibility test, but returned to fight in Paris in 2024, claiming a historic gold medal.
Khelif's career was thrust into the spotlight again after her first-round opponent Angela Carini walked out of the ring in tears after just 46 seconds of their fight, with huge names such as J.K. Rowling, Elon Musk and Donald Trump all implying that she was transgender and should be banned from the competition.
Now, she's made it clear that she's willing to undergo a sex test if it means she can defend her title at the Olympics in Los Angeles in two years' time, hitting back at critics and World Boxing after she was cited in the governing body's announcement of mandatory sex testing last year.
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While she initially appealed the decision, Khelif is clearly desperate to fight and win another medal for her country, suggesting that she would do 'anything' she is required to do if it means competing in LA.
In an interview with CNN, she said: “Of course, I would accept doing anything I’m required to do to participate in competitions.
“They should protect women, but they need to pay attention that while protecting women, they shouldn’t hurt other women."
One of Donald Trump's first acts back in the Oval Office saw him sign the executive order focused on 'Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports' and he incorrectly branded Khelif as a biological male when doing so. Last month, in a speech to Republican lawmakers, he made the same mistake, as he and the Supreme Court look to uphold state-level bans on transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports.
Khelif has now implored politicians to protect her peace by leaving her name out of any debates and agendas, saying: “I’m not transgender. I’m a woman. I want to live my life… Please do not exploit me in your political agendas.
“I was born like this. Of course, I have hormonal differences. But I decrease my testosterone levels based on my doctor’s recommendations.
“Boxing does not rely on the level of testosterone. Boxing relies on intelligence, on experience and on discipline."
The initial report regarding Khelif had claimed that she had XY chromosomes, something she suggested was inaccurate and 'modified', but it did lead to the change of rules in May last year, where World Boxing emphasised that she cannot participate in the female category until appropriate sex testing has taken place.
She said: "When they published my name, they caused another crisis for me. They caused more discourse and another campaign against me."
Khelif hasn't returned to the ring since that moment and although World Boxing later apologised, she suggested that the damage was already done and has since taken her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“I will not surrender until I have justice because I know justice is on my side above all else," she concluded.
Topics: Boxing, Donald Trump, Imane Khelif, Olympics, LGBTQ, Sport
James Moorhouse