Medical report leaked that ‘proves Imane Khelif is biological male'
Imane Khelif's sex-test results from the 2023 World Championships have been published for the first time, with the medical report appearing to indicate that the boxer is biologically male.
Just 36 hours after World Boxing ruled that Khelif, a hugely controversial Olympic champion in women's boxing at last summer's Paris Games, would need to undergo sex screening to be eligible for any future appearances in the female category, the document at the heart of this extraordinary saga was released into the public domain.
Alan Abrahamson, the American journalist who disclosed in Paris how the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had been warned more than a year earlier that Khelif had the DNA of a 'male', produced the result of a test carried out on the boxer in New Delhi in March 2023, triggering the boxer's disqualification from the championships that year.
The document published on the 3 Wire Sports website summarises the findings on Khelif as 'abnormal', stating: 'Chromosome analysis reveals male karyotype'. A karyotype refers to an individual's complete set of chromosomes, which in Khelif's case has been reported by the International Boxing Association (IBA) as being XY, the male pattern.
The test results carry the letterhead of Dr Lal PathLabs in New Delhi, accredited by the American College of Pathologists and certified by the Swiss-based International Organisation for Standardisation. This directly challenges the account of IOC spokesman Mark Adams, who in a tense news conference at the Paris Olympics described the results as 'ad hoc' and 'not legitimate'.
Thomas Bach, the IOC president, has gone even further, claiming that the results are the product of a Russian-led misinformation campaign. He pointed out in an interview earlier this year that the IBA, headed by Russia's Umar Kremlev, had been stripped of IOC recognition in a row over ethics and financial management. The official authentication of the Indian laboratory that conducted the tests on Khelif increases the pressure on the IOC to explain why it believes the results are illegitimate.
It also makes any potential comeback by Khelif far more complicated. Outwardly the 26-year-old has been defiant, even vowing to win a second successive Olympic gold medal in Los Angeles in 2028. But World Boxing has ruled that Khelif is ineligible to enter future events as a woman without first submitting to the same chromosome testing that has already triggered the boxer's disqualification at global level.
The governing body, provisionally approved to run Olympic boxing in LA, has announced that all athletes in its competitions over 18 years old must undergo a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) genetic test to determine their sex. The test detects chromosomal material through a mouth swab, saliva or blood. Khelif, who was allowed to box in Paris because of female passport status, has failed to provide any evidence of having female chromosomes in the nine months since the scandal erupted.
World Boxing's tougher stance on the issue comes in response to widespread outrage at the scenes in Paris, where both Khelif and Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting swept to Olympic titles, despite having been banned by the IBA the previous year on the grounds that they did not have XX chromosomes. Italy's Angela Carini, the first opponent beaten by Khelif, described how she had been punched so hard that she feared for her life.
Mexico's Brianda Tamara, who fought Khelif in 2022, said: 'I don't think I had ever felt like that in my 13 years as a boxer, nor in my sparring with men.' Latin American federations ultimately proved highly influential in persuading World Boxing to prioritise the reality of sex, in order to uphold fairness and safety for women.
In correspondence seen by Telegraph Sport, the Honduran federation told the Women's Rights Network that 'necessary measures should be taken so that only women by birth can compete in women's competitions'. Their Peruvian counterparts also strongly urged the 'protection of women'.
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39 minutes ago
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Imane Khelif breaks silence amid claims leaked medical report 'proves boxer is biological male'
Controversial Olympic champion Imane Khelif shared a social media post celebrating 'heroes' Monday after a leaked medical report shockingly suggested the boxer is a biological male. Khelif, who claimed gold for Algeria at the Paris Games last summer, was thrust into the center of a bitter storm once again this week when it emerged that a 2023 medical test allegedly indicated she carried male chromosomes. The document, seen by 3 Wire Sports via Telegraph Sport, states: 'Chromosome analysis reveals male karyotype.' The reported leak came less than two days after World Boxing had ruled the boxer would need to undergo sex screening to be eligible for any future appearances in female events. Amid the reignited gender row, Khelif broke cover in an Instagram post shared on Monday. However, the sporting star refused to acknowledge the furor surrounding the alleged chromosome analysis. The post, celebrating Unicef 's 'Global Day of Parents,' featured a photo of Khelif in a blue polo bearing the organization's logo as she formed a heart with her hands. In the lengthy caption, she paid tribute to her own parents for supporting and standing by her. 'Today, I became a champion, but it all started long ago,' she began. 'When my parents believed in me, even when the dream felt too big. When they supported me, listened to me, and stood by me. 'Being a parent isn't easy. There's no manual. But the love, patience, and trust you give your child can change everything. 'On this #GlobalDayOfParents, I just want to say thank you. Thank you to every parent who chooses, every single day, to be there for their children. 'Together with @unicefalgerie, I'm celebrating these everyday heroes. Because when parents are supported, children can dream and succeed.' Khelif, along with Taiwan 's Lin Yu-ting, had been disqualified from the 2023 World Championships run by the International Boxing Association (IBA), the former governing body for the sport. The IBA had claimed Khelif and Lin had failed gender eligibility tests, leading to their disqualification from the event. Amid a debate over whether Lin and Khelif should be allowed to compete at the Olympics last summer, the two fighters would go on to win gold in the featherweight and welterweight events respectively. The alleged medical test was reportedly carried out on March 17, 2023 - the same year that Khelif was disqualified by the IBA - according to the date listed on the leaked results. The document claims to have come from Dr Lal PathLabs in New Delhi, a laboratory which is accredited by the American College of Pathologists and certified by the International Organisation for Standardisation. The report was initially published by the journalist Alan Abrahamson, who first brought reports of Khelif's alleged failed gender eligibility test to public attention at the Paris Games. Mail Sport has contacted Khelif's representatives for comment. World Boxing, who are now the governing body for the sport, last week announced the introduction of mandatory sex testing for male and female boxers who want to take part in competitions. The governing body said the testing will be part of a new policy on 'Sex, Age and Weight', which it claims will a safe and competitive playing field. Khelief has previously stated that she planned to defend her gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics in three years' time. World Boxing does have some Olympic authority, as they have been announced to provisionally run testing for the Los Angeles Games, with any person over 18 required to undergo PCR testing to determine their sex. The governing body said the PCR test is a laboratory technique used to detect specific genetic material, with the SRY gene revealing the presence of the Y chromosome, which is an indicator of biological sex. The test can be a be conducted by nasal/mouth swab, saliva or blood. In November, another 'leaked' report published in German outlet Bild claimed that she was a 'biological male'. It remains unclear whether the report was legitimate, with Algerian Olympic Committee calling out 'unsubstantiated allegations (which aimed) to tarnish the image of an athlete who has brought honor to our nation on the international stage.' The report was initially put together in 2023 via collaboration between French and Algerian expert endocrinologists working at the Kremlin-Bicetre hospital in Paris, and the Mohamed Lamine Debaghine hospital in Algiers. The unverified report alleges that Khelif has male characteristics. But Jacques Young, an endocrinologist at Bicetre Hospital in Paris who reportedly co-authored the document, has told DW in Germany that he feels his name is being used to spread false information. Young also hinted he had been used to disseminate an anti-trans agenda. 'I think your statement perfectly reflects reality,' when he was asked whether his name was being used for those purposes.
