Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has vowed to defend her Olympic title at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, insisting she will not be intimidated by criticism, including repeated comments from Donald Trump referring to her as a ‘man.’
Khelif, 25, won gold in the women’s welterweight category at the Paris 2024 Olympics despite facing scrutiny following her disqualification from the 2023 Women’s World Championships for alleged gender eligibility issues.
The International Boxing Association (IBA), now discredited, could not provide evidence to support its claims, and test results were never made public.
Khelif, who has always competed in the women’s division and identifies as female, was cleared by the International Olympic Committee to compete in Paris.
Throughout her Olympic campaign, Khelif endured online abuse, with figures like J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk named in a lawsuit filed with French authorities. Despite this, Khelif triumphed and silenced her critics by securing the gold medal.
Speaking to ITV News, Khelif dismissed Trump’s comments on transgender policies in the U.S., stating, “I am not transgender.
This does not concern me, and it does not intimidate me.” She added that the experience has made her more substantial and determined.
Khelif’s goal is to join the ranks of Nicola Adams, Claressa Shields, and Kellie Harrington—the only women to have won two Olympic gold medals in boxing.
In a nod to the strength she gained from her experiences, Khelif said, “I feel even stronger now than I was before,” and that her gold medal in Paris was “the best response” to the bullying she faced.
She believes it was “the best medal of the entire Games,” athletically and ethically.
IOC President Thomas Bach recently suggested that the controversy surrounding Khelif’s Paris campaign stemmed from a “fake news campaign” led by Russia.
