"They knew the whole time"- Riley Gaines reacts to report claiming Imane Khelif's gender test shows 'XY' chromosomes and 'testicles'

Riley Gaines recently spoke about the controversial Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who won the gold medal in the women's 66kg division at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The former American swimmer's comments came after an unverified report allegedly claimed Khelif had been found to have 'XY' chromosomes and 'testicles'.

Khelif had initially failed a gender test at the 2023 World Championships, with the International Boxing Federation (IBA) imposing a ban on the boxer from competing in international competitions. However, the International Olympic Committee cleared the boxer to compete in the Paris Olympics and defended their stance after the international community questioned her participation.

Khelif remained unbeaten at the Olympics, claiming the gold medal in the women's 66kg welterweight division. However, the Algerian is once again shrouded in controversy after one of her medical reports from 2023 was allegedly obtained by a French journalist, Ait Aoudia. According to Aoudia, Khelif was found to have internal testicles and a 'micropenis' and the chromosomal tests reportedly confirmed the 'XY' karyotype.

Riley Gaines, who protested Khelif's participation at the Paris Olympics, reacted to the report on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote:

"Remember the man who won an Olympic gold medal in women’s boxing? His medical reports show he has XY chromosomes, male testosterone levels, testicles, & a micropenis. But that never mattered—they believe that words & feelings make you woman, not biology."

The former Kentucky swimmer also added that people didn't care about women's sports.

"They never believed it. They knew the whole time. They just didn't care because they think women exist to validate a man's feelings and identity," she wrote

---

Riley Gaines termed Imane Khelif's opening round fight against Angela Carini 'glorified violence against women'

Riley Gaines speaks at Celebrities Visit SiriusXM (Source: Getty)

Imane Khelif faced Italian boxer Angela Carini in her opening-round bout at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and after landing a few punches on her face, Carini decided to withdraw from the fight. The Italian broke down in the ring and the visuals became viral, following which Khelif was subjected to severe criticism online.

Riley Gaines, who has previously spoken against transgender athletes' participation in women's sports, slammed the IOC for allowing Khelif to compete in Paris, calling the fight 'glorified male violence against women'. She wrote on X:

"After 46 seconds and a few hits to the face by a male, Carini forfeited the fight. Call me crazy, but It's almost as if women don't want to be punched in the face by a male as the world watches and applauds. This is glorified male violence against women."

The IOC defended Khelif throughout the Games, stating that she did fulfill all the eligibility requirements to compete against female boxers.