Algerian boxing star Imane Khelif has brushed off the controversy surrounding her gender identity, declaring she will not be intimidated by US President Donald Trump as she prepares to defend her Olympic title at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Khelif, 25, became the centre of a heated gender eligibility debate after winning gold at the Paris Olympics, with Trump falsely claiming she had transitioned from male to female. The former world champion, however, has firmly rejected any association with the transgender policy debates.
“I will give you a straightforward answer—the US president issued a decision related to transgender policies in America,” Khelif told ITV News. “I am not transgender. This does not concern me, and it does not intimidate me. That is my response.”
Her triumph in Paris, alongside Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, sparked international debate, with high-profile figures like Trump and Elon Musk weighing in. Both Khelif and Lin had previously been disqualified from the 2023 International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships after allegedly failing gender eligibility tests.
The IBA, formerly the global governing body of amateur boxing, has since been shunned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) due to concerns over financial mismanagement and governance. Last month, the IOC provisionally recognised World Boxing as the new governing body for the sport at future Games.
Despite the controversy, Khelif remains focused on her goal: “Second gold medal, of course—in America, Los Angeles,” she declared.
Reflecting on the backlash she faced, Khelif admitted the scrutiny had taken a toll on her mental health and family. Her mother, she revealed, had to seek medical care frequently as the family endured intense media scrutiny.
Yet, Khelif remains defiant. “As we say in Algeria, those who have nothing to hide should have no fear,” Khelif told ITV. “The truth became clear at the Paris Olympics—the injustice was exposed and later, the truth was acknowledged by the Olympic Committee in Paris.”
“I see myself as a girl, just like any other girl. I was born a girl, raised as a girl, and have lived my entire life as one. I have competed in many tournaments, including the Tokyo Olympics and four world championships. But once I began achieving success, the campaigns against me started.”
The debate over transgender athletes and athletes with differences in sex development (DSD) continues to be a major topic in the upcoming IOC presidential election. Leading candidates Juan Antonio Samaranch Junior, Sebastian Coe, and Kirsty Coventry have all spoken about the need to “protect the women’s category” in sports.
