Paris – Algerian boxer Iman Kelif finds himself in the middle of a fierce gender gap in sports during the Paris Olympics, and blames “false and offensive” accusations from the International Boxing Association did.
“I beat more times than I could count, but I've never stayed,” Keriff said on his Instagram account late Tuesday.
The IBA said it will file criminal charges this week against the International Olympic Committees of the United States, France and Switzerland.
The Swiss-based IOC has allowed female boxers Khelif and Lin Yu-Thing to compete in Paris last year and win gold medals.
Keriff responded by saying, “I will take all the legal action necessary to ensure that my rights and the principles of fair competition are supported.”
“The person responsible for these actions must be held accountable. We pursue all legal measures available to ensure that justice wins,” she added.
The Russian-led IBA was expelled from the Olympics, but it cited the executive order of trans athletes by US President Donald Trump to justify criminal charges.
Khelif said the IBA “against false and offensive, unfounded accusations and used them to promote the agenda. This is not just me, but also about fairness and legitimate processes in sports. It's a question that relates to broader principles.”
The IOC has consistently said that Algerian and Taiwanese boxers who are assigned women at birth and identify with women are abiding by all the rules of the Olympic tournament.
Both competed in Tokyo in 2021 and did not win a medal.
Khelif and Lin said they failed the eligibility test as they were disqualified from the 2023 World Championships run by the IBA.
“The two female athletes mentioned by the IBA are not trans athletes,” the IOC repeated Monday.
Khelif made his way through Olympic matches amid international scrutiny and uninformed speculation about her sex.
Despite being born and raised as a woman, she was at the heart of Western debates about gender, gender and sports after failing an unspecified eligibility test for women's competition with the IBA in 2023. I've noticed it.
“I've seen adversity before,” Keriff said. “I fought through every set, every false accusation, every attempt to erase me. And I won. Each obstacle only strengthens my resolve. I am honor and integrity. We'll continue to compete.”
