Is Imane Khelif biologically male? Olympic boxing gender controversy explained

Olympic boxer Imane Khelif has become the centre of a controversy after her fight with Italy’s Angela Carini.

Carini surrendered just 46 seconds into the match , deciding to pull out after consulting with her team.

This sparked outcry after it was also reported that Imane had previously been removed from the 2023 world championships for failing a gender eligibility test.

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Soon, a number of voices were calling for Khelif to be disqualified from the Olympics online, and casting doubt on her gender.

This includes Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer at Kentucky, who posted on X: "Men don’t belong in women’s sports #IStandWithAngelaCarini.”

Elon Musk weighed in, who responded, writing: "Absolutely."

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Is Imane Khelif biologically male or transgender?

Imane Khelif is not biologically male or transgender. Khelif’s passport says she is female, AP reports.

According to the International Olympic Committee, Khelif was removed from the 2023 championships because “her elevated levels of testosterone failed to meet the eligibility criteria.”

A similar thing happened to South African runner Caster Semenya, a biological woman who won gold in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics but was later barred by the IOC from competing due to a new testosterone regulation.