New calls for Olympics gender row boxer Imane Khelif to be stripped of her gold medal have emerged after a ‘leaked’ report claimed she is a biological man.
Khelif and Taiwan boxer Lin Yu-ting were at the centre of a ‘gender row’ controversy at the Olympics after both were given the green light to compete despite failing gender eligibility tests at last year’s world championships.
Both boxers shrugged off criticism and went all the way to winning top Olympic gongs in their respective weight categories as their participation was defended by IOC president Thomas Bach.
However, the issue over Khelif’s credibility in winning women’s gold at the Olympics has now been thrust back into the spotlight following an apparently leaked excerpt from a report, first reported by Bild, that claims Khelif is a ‘biological male’ – though it remains unclear whether the report is legitimate.
The report was initially put together in 2023 via collaboration between French and Algerian expert endocrinologists working at the Kremlin-Bicetre hospital in Paris, and the Mohamed Lamine Debaghine hospital in Algiers.
An alleged report into Imane Khelif’s biology has apparently revealed she is a biological male
Piers Morgan (right) has led calls for Khelif (left) to be stripped of her Olympic gold medal
Khelif has previously insisted she is a biological female despite failing gender eligibility tests at last year’s world championships (Pictured: Khelif in 2023)
Khelif pictured in September at a Bottega Veneta show as part of Milan Fashion Week
The unverified report alleges that Khelif has male characteristics.
But Jacques Young, an endocrinologist at Bicetre Hospital in Paris who reportedly co-authored the document, has told DW in Germany that he feels his name is being used to spread false information.
Young also hinted he had been used to disseminate an anti-trans agenda. ‘I think your statement perfectly reflects reality,’ when he was asked whether his name was being used for those purposes.
In a statement to DW, the Algerian Olympic Committee said: ‘These attacks, often based on unsubstantiated allegations, aim to tarnish the image of an athlete who has brought honor to our nation on the international stage.
‘We firmly condemn these attempts at destabilisation, 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.
Upon hearing the news, Piers Morgan took to X where he slammed the IOC’s decision to let Khelif compete at the Paris Games and demanded she be stripped of her gold medal.
A fuming Morgan posted to his 8.8m followers on Thursday: ‘Confirmation of what some of us said at the time: Khelif is a biological man. The gold medal should now be stripped and awarded to the best actual woman.’
Meanwhile, tennis legend Martina Navratilova also spoke out on the topic and backed Morgan’s claim that Khelif should have her medals stripped.
In a post on X, she said: ‘What we have been saying for months. And for calling his person a man or at least a male, we got called all kinds of names and most of all the women this male took medals and wins from. Just awful’.
Sports presenter Laura Woods has also shared her view on Khelif’s inclusion at the Olympic Games and the wider transgender debate.
‘Transgender people SHOULD absolutely have a place in sport, but NOT at the expense of safety or fairness for women,’ she tweeted. ‘And it is not up to women to find that solution. These categories should be protected.
‘Fairness and safety MUST be the MOST important factors in sport. At ALL levels. Including and especially grass routes. This can not keep happening.’
She added that she has lost friends as a result of her stance.
Khelif beat Chinese boxer Yang Liu by unanimous decision to win gold at the Olympics during an eventful run to the medal that included Italy’s Angela Carini being left in tears after struggling with the power of her opponent.
Khelif has previously insisted she is a biological female and fumed at reporters after gold medal victory at the Paris Olympics, stating: ‘As for whether I qualify or not, whether I am a woman or not, I have made many statements in the media.
‘I am fully qualified to take part in this competition. I’m a woman like any other woman. I was born a woman, I lived as a woman, I competed as a woman, there’s no doubt about that.
‘[The critics] are enemies of success, that is what I call them. And that also gives my success a special taste because of these attacks.’
Khelif beat Chinese boxer Yang Liu (right) by unanimous decision to win gold at the Olympics
Khelif previously claimed she is a ‘woman like any other woman’ after winning Olympic gold
The fallout surrounding Khelif’s participation in the Olympics, along with that of fellow boxer Lin Yu-ting, prompted outcries of fury from the author JK Rowling and Elon Musk on social media, while Donald Trump also taunted the Algerian fighter.
Nabil Boudi, Khelif’s Paris-based attorney, later revealed they opened a lawsuit that was filed to French authorities over comments made about her gender online.
No individuals have been named as defendants in the lawsuit but a number of well known celebrities have been referenced for their social media posts.
The 25-year-old Olympic champion revealed at the time that she was ‘hurt a lot’ by intense scrutiny of her gender and questioned the intentions of those who she believes have harassed her.
