Olympic champion Imane Khelif has threatened to sue a French journalist who published an unverified leaked medical report about her. Khelif won gold in the women’s welterweight event in Paris this summer, but her participation at the games had been a source of contention.

This came after she was disqualified from the Women’s World Boxing Championships in 2023 by the International Boxing Associations (IBA) in regards to gender eligibility rules, with it claimed that she failed a gender eligibility test.  However, Khelif insisted she was a woman and her father even produced her birth certificate which said she was born female. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) repeatedly defended her right to compete throughout the games, while the IBA’s test results and credibility were also called into question.

Then, earlier this month, a report in French magazine Le Correspondant – which is yet to be confirmed as legitimate – alleged that the 25-year-old has ‘male characteristics’ and XY chromosomes, something Khelif has repeatedly denied. And the Algerian again defended her position and hit out at the claims. Appearing on the Lo Stato delle Cose show with Massimo Giletti on Italian TV, she said: ‘I didn’t know the statements of President Meloni, but I saw that many politicians and presidents speak without any real source. 

‘We will meet with the French journalist in court.’ The reference to Giorgia Meloni, the president of Italy, is also in relation to further controversy that surrounded Khelif in Paris. Her second round opponent Angela Carini, who is Italian, retired from the fight 46 seconds in, citing pain to her nose and reportedly insisting she ‘had never felt a punch like this’.

The bout with Carini fueled the furore surrounding Khelif after she punched her opponent twice in the opening round.The blows appeared to knock off the Italian boxer’s chin strap, with the fighter moving over to her corner. Carini returned to the centre of the ring and abandoned the bout, leading to Khelif being declared as the winner.

The Italian boxer, who claimed before the fight that she could ‘only adapt to the rules of the Olympics‘, was then seen crying in the centre of the ring following the abrupt conclusion of the bout and refused to shake her opponent’s hand. She later said: ‘It could have been the match of a lifetime, but I had to preserve my life as well in that moment.’ Carini did then apologise for the way she acted and expressed sympathy with Khelif, but Meloni was one of many to voice their concerns over the Algerian’s presence in Paris. But, when questioned on the issue, Khelif insisted that she does not begrudge Carini for her actions. 

‘I have nothing against Angela Carini,’ she explained. ‘She is a boxer, a young girl. I have nothing against the people who put pressure on her to behave that way, I don’t think she behaved that way of her own free will. 

‘I am sure that the pressure she was subjected to led her to this behaviour. I want to send a message to Angela, I want to tell her that she is a friend and will remain a friend, the apologies were accepted from the bottom of my heart. 

‘I wish her every success, people can make mistakes but we must learn from our mistakes.’ 

Khelif similarly went on to open up on the impact of all the scrutiny and criticism she has faced since rising to fame in Paris.

‘My parents have seen many fake images,’ she added. ‘The war against me through social media has had a negative impact. 

‘We need to understand who the people are who have done these things. Those who have done it are not people of substance. 

‘I have seen that there are many politicians and presidents who speak without a source and it is something strange, because they make statements without a basis, without reality. The IOC has all the tools to make a real decision. ‘Any person who is exposed to this bullying and hatred, finds it more difficult to win. But I have learned a lot from this experience. The more a person desires success, the easier it is to achieve it.’ 

Meanwhile, the leaked unverified medical report was said to be a collaboration between French and Algerian expert endocrinologists working at the Kremlin-Bicetre hospital in Paris, and the Mohamed Lamine Debaghine hospital in Algiers.  But Jacques Young, an endocrinologist at Bicetre Hospital in Paris who reportedly co-authored the document, told DW in Germany that he feels his name is being used to spread false information. In a statement to DW, the Algerian Olympic Committee also said: ‘These attacks, often based on unsubstantiated allegations, aim to tarnish the image of an athlete who has brought honour to our nation on the international stage.

‘We firmly condemn these attempts at destabilization, which have no place in the world of sports.’

The IOC said it will ‘not comment while legal action is ongoing, or on media reports about unverified documents whose origin cannot be confirmed’. It then repeated a statement issued following the controversy at the Paris Olympics.

‘We understand that Imane Khelif has taken legal action against individuals who commented on her situation during the Olympic Games Paris 2024, and is also preparing a lawsuit in response to the latest reporting,’ an IOC spokesperson said.

‘The IOC will not comment while legal action is ongoing, or on media reports about unverified documents whose origin cannot be confirmed.’

The statement pointed out Khelif had been competing in women’s boxing ‘for many years’, including at the previous Games in Tokyo as well as IBA-sanctioned events.

Amid the backlash that Khelif received during the Games, her father gave an emotional statement to Sky Sports. 

‘My child is a girl. She was raised as a girl. She’s a strong girl. I raised her to be hard-working and brave. She has a strong will to work and to train,’ he said.