The more the noise, the more she puts on a comprehensive performance. Imane Khelif has had a meteoric rise in the face of adversity, criticism, and the questions that challenged her eligibility for the Paris Olympics. But before she walks to the center of the boxing ring and fights for that gold medal, the debate around her gender seems to be coming to an end. That’s owing to a picture of the Algerian boxer from her school days.

Khelif, 25, stormed into the finals and will face Yang Liu in the gold medal bout. However, her road to the final was filled with negative comments, and her identity was put forth as a topic of debate. It all started in the first round of the Olympics when Khelif went up against Italy’s Angela Carini, who retired from the encounter after just 46 seconds. As she fell to her knees and sobbed, the debate around Khelif’s gender began, and it might end with her school photographs.

When this debate started, American swimmer Riley Gaines claimed, “men don’t belong in women’s sports,” suggesting Imane Khelif wasn’t a female. X owner Elon Musk shared Gaines’ statement, writing, “Absolutely.” In response to these remarks – not just from Musk and Gaines but several well-known names worldwide – Algerian journalist Youcef Zaghba shared pictures of a young Imane when she was in school. While the pictures of the boxer wearing pink outfits and earrings have become quite prominent on social media, the one with a class picture from the 2005-06 academic year isn’t.

Along with the pictures, Zaghba – who has been covering Imane Khelif’s career for a long time – wrote, “Make her a trend… This is our heroine, Imane Khelif, in her childhood. Imane Khelif, daughter of Algeria.” [Translated by Google] This was to say that the 25-year-old was an assigned female at birth, unlike what the IBA claimed while disqualifying Khelif from the 2023 World Championships. “According to the results of DNA tests, it was proved that [Khelif has] XY chromosomes,” an IBA representative claimed.

This led to rumors that Imane Khelif was transgender. However, an IOC spokesperson echoed Youcef Zaghba’s comments in a press conference: “The Algerian boxer was born female, was registered female, lived her life as a female, boxed as a female, has a female passport. This is not a transgender case. Scientifically, this is not a man fighting a woman.” This is precisely what the boxer and her family have been trying to convey since this gender debate started – that Imane Khelif was born and raised a female, and that’s her gender.

To further make their case, the 41-9 record holder’s father also tendered Imane’s official birth documents to lay the controversy to rest. Showing the documents, he declared, “This is our family official document. May 2, 1999. Imane Khelif, female. It is written here. You can read it. This document doesn’t lie.” Even Khelif’s coach, Mohamed Chaoua, explained why Imane being transgender wasn’t a possibility. “In the Algerian state, changing [one’s] gender is not allowed.”

He continued, “Even in developing countries, these operations are costly. If Imane had the funds to do as people are alleging and accusing her, she’d rather feed herself, buy bread and clothes, and live like the rest of her friends.” Even the boxer herself spoke up about all the bullying she’s been subjected to since the gender debate started. Khelif said how bullying “can destroy people; it can kill people’s thoughts, spirit, and mind. And it can divide people.” Despite this emotional burden, the 25-year-old has persevered, a quality that was on display when she defeated Luca Anna Hamori.

Imane Khelif breaks down after guaranteeing herself a medal

When Khelif emerged victorious against Hamori, she announced, “I am a woman,” in a teary state. The win meant more for the welterweight fighter, as it also made her the first Algerian woman to ensure a medal in boxing at the Olympics. This was following her quarterfinal win, a sentiment she repeated after her semifinal win (again, by unanimous decision) against Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng. 

After she booked her spot in the finals, she told the media, “I don’t want to talk about the controversy.” Instead, she focused on the gold medal bout:  “All that matters is for me to be at my best level. I know I’m a great athlete. I just hope people enjoyed watching my match.”

Update: Imane Khelif won the welterweight final by unanimous decision against reigning world champion Yang Liu. Following the encounter, the Algerian said, “I am fully qualified to take part in this competition. I’m a woman like any other woman. I was born a woman, I lived a woman, I competed as a woman. There’s no doubt about that. [The detractors] are enemies of success. That is what I call them. And that also gives my success a special taste because of these attacks.”

That said, what do you make of the pictures of Imane Khelif? Let us know in the comments below.