Background and career
Imane Khelif (Arabic: إيمان خليف, romanized: ʾĪmān Khalīf, pronounced [ʔiːˈmaːn xəˈliːf]; born 2 May 1999) is an Algerian professional boxer who won the women's welterweight gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics. She made her international debut at 2018 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships, competing in both the lightweight and welterweight categories, and later reached the quarterfinals of the women's lightweight event at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Following wins at a series of regional victories, Khelif secured a silver medal at the 2022 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships and gold at the 2024 Olympics.
She was disqualified from the 2023 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships after allegedly failing unspecified sex verification tests, a decision that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) subsequently criticised as "sudden and arbitrary". After Khelif defeated Angela Carini at the 2024 Olympic Games, false claims that she was a man circulated online, causing controversy. Khelif was born female and has competed exclusively in women's events, including those overseen by the IOC. She is not transgender.
Since the introduction of mandatory sex verification testing for women by World Boxing in May 2025, Khelif has not taken part in events run by the organisation. As of September 2025, her appeal against the requirement was ongoing. In a February 2026 interview with CNN, Khelif revealed that she has high levels of testosterone, which she has been reducing under medical supervision; she also indicated her willingness to undergo the mandatory sex verification tests required by the IOC.
