Imane Khelif was the subject of global controversy after winning boxing gold in the up to 66 kilo category. So much so that Donald Trump … or Elon Musk accused her of being a man, but the Algerian boxer has reiterated that her great sporting goal continues to be to defend her gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028 and did not hesitate to speak openly in L’Équipe about her genetics and to respond to the president of the United States.
«I respect Trump because he is the president of the United States, but the truth is the truth and he cannot change it. I’m not trans, I’m a woman. It is a political problem. “I don’t know his motivations,” Khelif said before laughingly stating that he is “working” for the president to present him with a medal on the podium in Los Angeles.
In addition, the boxer revealed that she underwent hormonal treatment to reduce her testosterone before the Paris Games and that she will abide by the regulations of World Boxing, the new governing body of boxing, which has introduced sex identification tests. «For the next Games, if I have to take a test, I will do it. I don’t have any problem with that, I already did it and won the gold medal,” he highlighted.
A treatment with which she has not noticed much difference when it comes to boxing, because for her this sport is never a “question” of strength or power, but rather is mental. But it did affect her a lot on a personal level. «It unbalances you. For example, it made me cry a lot because it alters emotions. Especially in periods of weight loss to get off the limit,” he added.
Fearless
Khelif spoke clearly about how she views her case. «It is the doctors and professionals who must decide. We all have different genetics, we all have different hormone levels. I’m not transsexual. My difference is natural. I am like that. I have done nothing to change the way nature has made me. That’s why I’m not afraid,” he confirmed.
Regarding whether she would have preferred not to win gold at the Games and not have to go through all these conflicts, Khelif was emphatic: “My mother told me that it was too hard to bear. The attacks were so virulent that he advised me to quit boxing. I thought so too. But when I look at my medal, everything fades away. For three months after the Games, I looked at her every day. Many feelings came over me. I made so many sacrifices to get it. “It is an incredible achievement,” he concluded.
