Algerian Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif has once again been the target of the Reduxx magazine. It cites the claims of French journalist Djaffar Ait Aoudia, who claims to have had access to her private medical records. Reduxx says these records suggest Khelif has XY chromosomes and internal testicles, reigniting debate over the woman’s eligibility. Khelif previously called for an end to bullying after backlash over gender misconceptions during her Paris Olympics 2024 run.
Last year, Algeria’s Khelif was DQed hours before her gold medal bout at the Women’s World Championships. Meanwhile, it came to be on Tuesday that Khelif was to turn professional after her Olympic gold medal win in Paris. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) previously defended her position during the Paris 2024 Olympics season. But now a clinical report from October says that an MRI revealed that Khelif had no uterus.
Instead, she had internal testicles and a “micropen*s” that resembled an enlarged clamp. Khelif, who recently graced the cover of Vogue as a boxing trailblazer, has spoken out about severe cyberbullying. As a result, she has filed a major cyber harassment complaint, naming celebrities such as Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and J.K. Rowling.
Reduxx’s involvement in the Paris Olympics 2024 was a pattern. Reduxx has been quoted in British media, including the Daily Mail and The Telegraph. It is run by Anna Slatz, who has faced her own controversies for her far-right and neo-Nazi views.
This report echoes an earlier admission by Khelif’s coach, Georges Cazorla. He said that the Algerian boxer underwent an assessment at the Kremlin-Bicêtre Hospital. However, the whole state of reporting is in shambles. Meanwhile, some proponents of the factoid in women’s sports have risen from the ashes to voice their disgust again.
Riley Gaines doubles down on men not belonging in women’s sports
People can have sex chromosomes generally associated with being female (XX chromosomes). Or generally have male markers (XY chromosomes), but have different reproductive organs and genitals. The term “differences in sex development,” or DSD, thus comes into play. Rare cases like Imane Khelif may have both ovarian and testicular tissue despite being one particular gender.
Imane Khelif might just have Differences of Sexual Development (DSD), meaning she dabbles in aspects of both genders. However, the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) ad hoc restrictions and more open interpretation fuelled several controversies around her. Riley Marie Gaines, a University of Kentucky NCAA swim team alum, already takes a hard stance over gender eligibility. Now, after the reports by Reduxx, although not definitive, she goes at it again.
Remember the man who won an Olympic gold medal in women’s boxing?
His medical reports show he has XY chromosomes, male testosterone levels, testicles, & a microp*nis.
But that never mattered—they believe that words & feelings make you woman, not biology.Riley Gaines via X (@Riley_Gaines_)
Remember the man who won an Olympic gold medal in women’s boxing?
His medical reports show he has XY chromosomes, male testosterone levels, testicles, & a micropenis.
But that never mattered—they believe that words & feelings make you woman, not biology.https://t.co/Ip8KLvEt6S
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) November 4, 2024
With data sourced from journalist Djaffar Ait Aoudia, the gender row around Khelif is at its peak again. The case is at the heart of debates about privacy, entitlement in women’s sports, and the need for clear guidelines to protect athletes from inappropriate public scrutiny and bullying.
