UFC bantamweight questions Imane Khelif's gold medal legitimacy at Paris Olympics after leaked medical report controversy

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has been embroiled in controversy due to confusion about her gender. It resulted in her disqualification from the 2023 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships after a failed gender eligibility test while becoming a major talking point ahead of her participation in the Paris Olympics 2024.

Despite the backlash, she went through the competition and won the Olympic gold medal in the welterweight division. Recently, a leaked medical report allegedly confirmed that Khelif is a biological male.

French journalist Djaffar Ait Aoudia obtained the report, which said that Khelif has internal testicles and XY chromosomes. @JenniferSey re-posted a video explaining the medical report on X.

Reacting to the post, UFC bantamweight contender Ricky Simon questioned whether the Algerian boxer should be allowed to keep the medal:

"Should he keep his gold?"

According to the leaked medical report, Khelif has a genetic condition that impacts the development of secondary masculine traits and results in ambiguous genitalia. That said, the report claimed that Khelif does not have a uterus or ovaries, which are parts of the female reproductive system.

In light of her previous record of failing the gender eligibility criteria, the International Olympic Committee's decision to allow Khelif to compete against other female athletes was heavily criticized.

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What did Imane Khelif's opponent Angela Carini say about her experience of fighting the controversial boxer?

In the Paris Olympics 2024 final, Imane Khelif's opponent Angela Carini gave up within 46 seconds of Round 1. Carini refused to shake hands with the Algerian boxer after the fight and broke down after the fight. Her post-fight comments led many to believe that the Italian boxer questioned Khelif's gender. Carini said:

"Never Been Punched So Hard….I felt a severe pain in my nose, and with the maturity of a boxer, I said ‘enough,’ because I didn’t want to, I didn’t want to, I couldn’t finish the match.”

She added:

“I am not here to judge or pass judgment. If an athlete is this way, and in that sense it’s not right or it is right, it’s not up to me to decide. I just did my job as a boxer. I got into the ring and fought. I did it with my head held high and with a broken heart for not having finished the last kilometer." [H/t Republic World]

The International Boxing Association (IBA) has been a vocal critic of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for allowing Khelif to compete against female athletes. To reinforce their stance, IBA awarded Carini with Olympic champion prize money in the aftermath.