All About Imane Khelif, the Algerian Boxer Who Just Won Gold at the Olympics

Mar. 15, 2025

Imane Khelif of Team Algeria.Photo:Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Imane Khelifis an Olympic gold medalist!

The Algerian boxerwas victorious in her final matchat the2024 Paris Olympics, defeating China’s Yang Liu on Aug. 9 after several bouts where she ultimately came out the winner.

The Algerian athlete competed in the women’s 66kg light welterweight division against Italy’s Angela Carini. Itended unexpectedly when Carini bowed outafter being hit 46 seconds into the match,marking Kehlif’s first win.

The 25-year-old Carini exchanged punches with the Algerian boxer and then burst into tears and fell to her knees, according to theAssociated PressandReuters. Afterward, the Italian boxer said “severe pain in my nose” was the reason she dropped out, per the outlets.

Internet commenters began criticizing Khelif’s participation in the Olympic match, noting that she had previously failed an unspecified gender eligibility test during the 2023 boxing world championships.

However, Mark Adams, the chief spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee, spoke out about the widespread “misinformation” at a news conference on Aug. 2, per theNew York Times, saying Khelif is an eligible athlete and stressing that Khelif is not transgender.

Read on for what to know about Imane Khelif, the Algerian boxer competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Imane is a pro boxer from Algeria

Imane Khelif was born in Algeria on May 2, 1999. She began boxing in Tiaret, a sport she decided to pursue after watching matches at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

According to herOlympic bio, Khelif “fell in love” with boxing on her first day of training. However, her path to becoming pro wasn’t easy.

Khelif’s hero? Legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, the iconic sports figure widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight champions of all time, her bio states.

Imane competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images

Imane was disqualified from 2023 World Championships

Richard Pelham/Getty

Khelif has medaled at major boxing tournaments all over the world, though she has not attracted international attention until recently.

The Algerian boxer secured a silver medal in the light welterweight (63kg) division at the 2022 World Championships. The victory made herthe country’s first female boxer to wina world championship medal.

Khelif was disqualified during the 2023 boxing world championships after failing an unspecified gender eligibility test, per theAssociated Press. The International Boxing Association (IBA) claimed that the results showed elevated levels of testosterone.

However, the test results were not transparent, and the IBA has since been suspended from being part of the IOC due to questions about corruption and judging issues,according to ESPN.

Imane’s competitor, Angela Carini, pulled out during their match in the 2024 Paris Olympics

MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty

Khelif’s first match at the 2024 Paris Olympics took place on Aug. 1 against Italy’s Angela Carini. The Algerian was named the winner after her opponent unexpectedly dropped out 46 seconds into the match.

“Khelif was assigned female at birth and it says so on her passport, which is the International Olympic Committee’s threshold for eligibility for boxing,” according toAP.

Mark Adams, the chief spokesman for the I.O.C., acknowledged the debated topic in a press conference on Aug. 2 the day after Khelif and Carini’s match. “There has been some confusion that somehow it’s a man fighting a woman,” he said, per theNYT.

“The question you have to ask yourself is, are these athletes women?” Adams continued. “The answer is yes,” according to their medical history and gender assigned at birth and on their passport.

Carini later spoke out on the controversy, saying that it “makes me sad” and that she was worried about the focus on Khelif, per AP. “I’m sorry for my opponent, too. … If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision.”

She added that she regretted not shaking Khelif’s hand after the match. “I want to apologize to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke. I don’t have anything against Khelif. Actually, if I were to meet her again I would embrace her.”

Imane won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics

“IMANE KHELIF GOLD MEDAL ! Algerian women continue to make us proud #Olympics #Paris2024,” the Algeria FC accountposted on X(formerly Twitter) following Khelif’s achievement. In a secondpost, they added: “🇩🇿🥇 To all the haters all around the world .. Imene Khelif says 🤫”

source: people.com