Imane Khelif declared male: What did the Algerian Olympian's ...

A medical report has revived the controversy around boxer Imane Khelif's gender. The Algerian sportsperson clinched gold in women's boxing at the Paris Olympics 2024 amid accusations of being male since birth.

French journalist Djaffar Ait Aoudia reportedly shared Khelif's medical report, drafted in June 2023 by expert endocrinologists Soumaya Fedala and Jacques Young.

What did Imane Khelif's medical report reveal?

The fresh media report claims that Khelif was born with “testicles” and a “micro-penis.” The report came months after Khelif clinched a gold medal in women's boxing at the Paris Olympics, which was held in July-August of this year.

According to Djaffar Ait Aoudia's report published in Lecorrespondant, the medical report of the Algerian boxer indicated “an absence of a uterus,” the presence of “gonads in the inguinal canals” (testicles in her abdomen), “a blind vagina” and a micro-penis in the form of “clitoral hypertrophy.”

The report was drafted in collaboration between the Kremlin-Bicêtre Hospital in Paris, France, and the Mohamed Lamine Debaghine Hospital in Algiers, Algeria. It also suggested that Imane Khelif was affected by 5-alpha deficiency.

What is 5-alpha deficiency?

The deficiency, which mainly affects males, impacts humans at the time of birth and influences the normal growth of a child's sexual organs. Due to the deficiency, male babies are incorrectly assigned female due to the presence of deformed genitalia.

The medical report also suggested that Imane Khelif might have been born to “parents who were perhaps blood relatives” and also recommended “surgical correction and hormone therapy.” 

Controversy around Algerian boxer Imane Khelif's gender

Imane Khelif faced intense scrutiny during the Paris Olympics boxing competition for her biological sex and gender identity. Many even claimed that Khelif is transgender. In 2023, Imane Khelif was disqualified from the World Boxing Championships after allegedly failing an eligibility test.

The debate garnered attention when Khelif's opponents, Italy’s Angela Carini, surrendered in the first round of their fight, saying she had “never felt a punch like this.” The controversy grew when celebrities like Elon Musk and JK Rowling posted on their social media accounts about Khelif being a man.