Olympics: Who is Imane Khelif? Is Imane Khelif Really A 'Biological Male'?

Are you watching the Paris Olympics these days? If yes, then you must have heard a lot of discussion about one name. That name is Imane Khelif, and many people would want to know that he is actually a biological man. In this article, we are going to give you complete information about this topic.

who is imane khelif

Algerian boxer Iman Khalif, who was accused of being a 'biological male', defeated Italian boxer Angela Carini in just 46 seconds at the Paris Olympics.

Khelif compelled her Italian rival Angela Carini to concede in the opening round of a preliminary welterweight (66kg) match at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The outcome sparked immediate debate because Khelif had previously failed testosterone and gender eligibility tests.

In the first round, when a powerful right-handed punch landed with a loud thud on Carini's face, the injured fighter turned away in anguish and signaled to her team to come to the ringside. At that point, the Italian contestant withdrew from the match and conceded the victory to Khelif.

Carini stood in the middle of the ring and cried as the result was officially announced, declining to shake hands with the Algerian opponent. 

"I have never been hit so hard in my life. It's up to the IOC to judge," said Carini afterwards. Carini stated afterwards.

Who is Imane Khelif?

Khelif, an Algerian boxer, was born on May 2, 1999 and has been competing since 2018. 

In 2022, Khelif emerged victorious at the African and Mediterranean Championships and advanced to the final of the World Championships in Istanbul, where she was ultimately defeated by Ireland's Katie Broadhurst, earning a silver medal.

Khelif's first Olympic outing was at the Tokyo 2020 games, where she was eliminated in the quarterfinal round by another Irish participant, Kellie Harrington.

Why has the controversy arisen regarding Imane Khelif?

Despite reaching the final of the 2023 World Championships, Khelif was disqualified from the competition just before the bout, with the reason cited being "medical reasons."

In the subsequent weeks, it was revealed that Khelif's removal from the event was due to drug tests confirming the presence of high levels of testosterone in her system.

Following this incident, the president of the International Boxing Association (IBA), Umar Kremlev, stated that these test results demonstrated that Khelif, as well as other female athletes with elevated testosterone levels, possessed male chromosomes.

But opposing it, Algeria Olympic Committee said that we reject the baseless allegations made against Imane Khelif and this is just a propaganda run by the media against him.

Why Imane Khelif is allowed to compete in the Olympics even after failing the gender eligibility test?

The International Boxing Association (IBA) no longer oversees Olympic boxing, so the Paris 2024 boxing tournament has been organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), who are adamant about this decision. 

Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting is also participating in the women's boxing event in Paris after being disqualified from last year's world championships for failing the same eligibility test as Khelif.

The IOC has firmly defended its stance on this matter. And said ""I would just say that everyone competing in the women's category is complying with the competition eligibility rules," said IOC spokesperson Mark Adams earlier this week.

"They are women in their passports and it is stated that is the case."

He further stated, "They have participated and they continue to participate in the women's competition. They have experienced both defeats and victories against other female competitors over time."

What is the testosterone limit for women's sports?

Testosterone is a sex hormone that is produced by both males and females. Nevertheless, men generate up to 20 times more testosterone than women, with the majority of this hormone being produced in the testicles.

In contrast, women produce significantly less testosterone, primarily in the ovaries and adrenal glands.

According to the US Mount Sinai hospital, a typical testosterone level for men is estimated to range from 10 to 35 nanomoles per liter in the bloodstream.

For women athletes, it is between 0.5 to 2.4 nmol per litre.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had set a specific testosterone threshold for women athletes who had transitioned from male to female. In order to participate in the female category, these athletes were required to maintain their testosterone levels below 10 nanomoles per litre (nmol/L).

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