Imane Khelif, the Olympic gold medalist who was in the middle of a gender controversy at the Paris Games during the summer, vowed to fight back against allegations from the International Boxing Association (IBA).
The IBA said earlier in the week it will file criminal complaints against the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the U.S., France and Switzerland over its decision to allow Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting to compete in the Games despite disqualifications in its own tournament. World Boxing is the governing body for the Olympics.
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Imane Khelif of Team Algeria celebrates victory against Anna Luca Hamori of Team Hungary after the Women’s 66kg Quarter-final round match on day eight of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at North Paris Arena on Aug. 3, 2024 in Paris. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Both Khelif and Lin won gold medals at the Olympics.
“For eight years, I have fought for my dream – eyes years of sacrifice, discipline, and perseverance to stand on the Olympic stage and represent my country with pride,” the Algerian boxer said in a statement posted on Instagram. “I have earned my place, and I will continue to stand firm in the face of any challenge.
“For two years, I have taken the high road while my name and image have been used, unauthorized, to further personal and political agendas through the spreading of and dissemination of baseless lies and misinformation. But silence is no longer an option.
Algeria’s Imane Khelif reacts prior to the match against Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori in the women’s 66kg quarter-final boxing match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the North Paris Arena on Aug. 3, 2024. (MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images)
“The International Boxing Association (IBA), an organization that I am no longer associated with and which is no longer recognized by the International Olympic Committee, have again made baseless accusations that are false and offensive, using them to further their agenda. This is a matter that concerns not just me but the broader principles of fairness and due process in sport.”
The IBA cited President Donald Trump’s executive order on transgender athletes to justify the criminal complaints.
The IOC reiterated again that Khelif and Lin were not transgender.
Imane Khelif of Team Algeria readies to compete against Anna Luca Hamori of Team Hungary in the women’s 66kg quarter-final boxing match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the North Paris Arena, in Villepinte, France, on Aug. 3, 2024. (Mehmet Murat Onel/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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“The two female athletes mentioned by IBA are not transgender athletes,” the organization said Monday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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