Olympic Boxing Champion Imane Khelif Declares Readiness for Sex Test Ahead of 2028 LA Games
Olympic boxing gold medallist Imane Khelif has publicly stated that she is prepared to undergo a sex test in order to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. This announcement comes as a defiant response to repeated claims from former US President Donald Trump that she is a 'male boxer'. The 26-year-old Algerian athlete, who rose to global prominence after winning gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, finds herself at the centre of an ongoing international controversy regarding gender eligibility in sports.
Controversial Victory and Subsequent Testing Mandates
Khelif's inclusion and subsequent victory at the Paris Games sparked significant controversy following allegations that she had failed a gender eligibility test the previous year. In 2025, World Boxing confirmed that fighters would be required to undergo mandatory sex screening to compete in their events, specifically mentioning Khelif when making the announcement. The governing body later apologised for singling out the athlete in this manner.
Since these testing protocols were introduced, Khelif has not competed professionally, instead taking her fight to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). She is seeking to compete without being subjected to gender testing, though a hearing for this case has yet to be scheduled. Despite this legal challenge, Khelif has expressed willingness to comply with testing requirements specifically for Olympic competition.
Defiant Response to Presidential Criticism
'Of course, I would accept doing anything I'm required to do to participate in competitions,' Khelif told CNN in a recent interview. 'They should protect women, but they need to pay attention that while protecting women, they shouldn't hurt other women.'
Her comments come in direct response to Donald Trump's persistent criticism. Last year, Trump signed an executive order entitled 'Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports' and has repeatedly referred to Khelif as a 'male boxer' who had 'transitioned' and 'stole the women's gold medal' by competing in Paris. The former president doubled down on these claims during a speech to Republican lawmakers in January.
Clarifying Biological Reality and Personal Identity
Trump has incorrectly claimed that Khelif is transgender. In reality, the boxer was born female but is believed to possess the SRY gene, which is associated with male sex chromosomes. This places her among athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD), a distinct category from transgender athletes.
When speaking to French media outlet L'Equipe about Trump's comments, Khelif stated she 'didn't ask for any of this' and that the politics surrounding her situation are 'beyond' her. 'I respect everyone, and I respect Trump because he's the president of the United States,' she told L'Equipe. 'Trump cannot distort the truth. I'm not trans, I'm a girl. I was raised as a girl, I grew up as a girl, people in my village have always known me as a girl.'
Broader Context of Olympic Eligibility Debates
The controversy surrounding Khelif's participation comes amid broader discussions about athlete eligibility for the 2028 Olympics. A ban on transgender women competitors is strongly expected to be in place for the Los Angeles Games, but it remains unclear whether there will be barriers against athletes with differences of sexual development following the boxing controversy at Paris 2024.
Under existing Olympic rules, each sport is empowered to decide if transgender women can compete provided their testosterone levels fall below designated thresholds. However, the International Olympic Committee, under new president Kirsty Coventry, is reportedly in discussions about implementing a dramatic policy shift that would impose a blanket ban across all sports for the Los Angeles Games.
Personal Resilience and Future Ambitions
Despite the intense scrutiny and personal attacks, Khelif remains adamant about competing in the next Olympics. She has even joked about training hard so that Trump might personally present her with a medal if she wins in Los Angeles. 'I respect him if he respects the truth,' Khelif stated. 'If I could say something to him? Mr. President, I'm a girl, a young Arab Muslim woman, a boxer. And I'm working so you can come and give me a medal on the podium in Los Angeles.'
The bitter controversy that followed Khelif's victory in Paris dominated headlines throughout the summer of 2024. The scrutiny became so intense that her own mother advised her to quit the sport. 'My mother told me, "It's too hard to take,"' Khelif revealed. 'The attacks were so vicious that she advised me to quit boxing. I thought about it too. But when I look at my medal, it all fades away.'
Reflecting on her achievement, Khelif added: 'For the three months following the Games, I looked at it every day. I was overwhelmed with emotions. I made so many sacrifices to get it.' Her determination to continue competing, despite unprecedented controversy, underscores the complex intersection of sports, biology, and politics in modern athletics.
