Imane Khelif facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Imane Khelif |
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Khelif in 2023
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| Height | 1.78 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 2 May 1999 Aïn Sidi Ali, Laghouat, Algeria |
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| Stance | Orthodox | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Imane Khelif (born May 2, 1999) is an Algerian professional boxer. She won the gold medal in women's welterweight boxing at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
After her victory at the 2024 Olympics, some people spread false information online about her eligibility to compete. These claims were linked to her being disqualified from the 2023 Women's World Boxing Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA). The IBA said she failed "gender eligibility tests." However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its Paris Boxing Unit stated that Khelif was allowed to compete in the Olympics. They called the IBA's earlier disqualification "sudden and arbitrary," meaning it was done without proper steps. Imane Khelif was born female, and the IOC confirmed she met all rules to compete as a woman.
Contents
Early Life and Start in Boxing
Imane Khelif was born in Aïn Sidi Ali, Algeria. When she was two months old, her family moved to Biban Mesbah, a small village. Her father shared that she loved sports from a young age. She first played football before she started boxing.
In her early years, she had to travel to Tiaret for training. She even sold bread and scrap metal to pay for her bus tickets. Her father, who is a welder, did not want her to box at first. He "did not approve of boxing for girls."
Boxing Career Highlights
Early Career and First Olympics
Imane Khelif began her boxing career by competing in world championships. At the 2018 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships, she finished 17th. In 2019, she finished 33rd at the same event.
She made history by being the first female boxer to represent Algeria at the Olympics. This was at the 2020 Summer Olympics (held in 2021). She reached the quarterfinals there. In March 2021, she won a gold medal at a tournament in Istanbul, Turkey.
Successes in 2022
In February 2022, Khelif won a gold medal at the Strandja Memorial Tournament. She was chosen to carry Algeria's flag at the 2022 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships. At this event, she became the first Algerian female boxer to reach the final. She won a silver medal there. Later in 2022, Khelif won more gold medals. She earned gold at the Mediterranean Games and the African Amateur Boxing Championships.
Disqualification and Comeback in 2023
In March 2023, Imane Khelif was set to fight for a gold medal at the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships. However, she was disqualified just before the final match. The International Boxing Association (IBA) claimed she failed "unspecified eligibility tests." This decision was made shortly after Khelif defeated a previously unbeaten Russian boxer.
The IBA president later claimed the disqualifications were due to "DNA tests." However, no evidence was ever published to support these claims. Khelif said the ruling meant she had "characteristics that mean I can't box with women." She also felt it was a "big conspiracy." She tried to appeal the decision, but it was stopped because she could not pay the fees.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) later stated that the IBA's decision was "sudden and arbitrary." They said it was made "without any due process."
Despite this setback, Khelif continued to box. In July 2023, she won a gold medal at the Arab Games. In November 2023, she decided to become a professional boxer. Her first professional fight took place in Singapore that same month.
Olympic Gold in 2024
In January 2024, Imane Khelif became a national ambassador for UNICEF, an organization that helps children. In April, she won the women's 66 kg event at the World Boxing Cup in the U.S.
The boxing events at the 2024 Paris Olympics were managed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IOC had suspended the IBA in 2019 due to problems with how it was run. The IOC confirmed that Khelif was allowed to compete in Paris. They stated she met all medical and eligibility rules. The IOC said Khelif "was born female, was registered female, lived her life as a female, boxed as a female, has a female passport."
During the Olympics, Khelif faced a lot of public attention and false claims about her gender. She became a target of online bullying and misinformation. Khelif said this backlash "harms human dignity" and asked for an end to bullying athletes. She filed a legal complaint in France against several people for cyberbullying.
Khelif was seeded fifth in her event. She won her quarterfinal match on August 3, 2024. She then won her semifinal match on August 6, guaranteeing her at least a silver medal. On August 9, she won the gold medal match against Yang Liu of China. This made Khelif Algeria's first female gold medalist in boxing. She was also the first Algerian boxer of any gender to win a medal since 2000, and the first to win a gold medal since 1996.
Second-Round Fight Against Angela Carini
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Khelif won her second-round fight on August 1, 2024, against Angela Carini of Italy. Carini stopped the match after 46 seconds, saying she felt pain in her nose. She reportedly said, "It's not fair!" after a punch from Khelif. This led to more online criticism of Khelif.
The next day, Carini apologized to Khelif. She said, "All this controversy makes me sad... I'm sorry for my opponent, too. If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision." The Algerian Olympic Committee defended Khelif. They said she was a victim of "unethical targeting" and "baseless propaganda."
Khelif's father told Sky Sports, "My child is a girl. She was raised as a girl. She's a strong girl." IOC President Thomas Bach also defended Khelif's participation. He said, "There was never any doubt about them being a woman." He confirmed Khelif was born a woman and spoke out against hate speech.
In November 2024, the IOC shared that Khelif was preparing to take legal action against a French magazine. The magazine had published claims about her eligibility, saying they came from a leaked medical report. The IOC said the magazine's story used "unverified documents."
Recent Events in 2025
In February 2025, the IBA mentioned Khelif in a statement about filing a complaint against the IOC regarding athlete eligibility. Khelif responded by saying the IBA was making "false and offensive" accusations.
In May 2025, World Boxing announced new sex verification tests for athletes. They specifically mentioned Khelif, saying she would not be allowed to compete until she took a test. World Boxing later apologized to the Algerian federation for this, saying it might have violated her privacy. Khelif had planned to compete in the Eindhoven Box Cup in June 2025, but she did not register for the event after World Boxing's announcement.
See also
In Spanish: Imane Khelif para niños
