2024 Paris Olympics Gold Medalist Imane Khelif was recently photographed with Algerian Minister of Youth and Sports, Abderrahmane Hammad Zaheer. The update comes over a month after Khelif had filed a criminal complaint over alleged acts of cyber-bullying to the Paris public prosecutor’s office.

Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu Ting were at the center of a gender row, with false accusations suggesting they were not biological women. This initially picked up steam when it was revealed that she was banned from competing in the 2023 Boxing World Championships because she failed a gender eligibility test administered by the International Boxing Association (IBA).

However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) disputed this test, and not to forget, they stripped the IBA of its position as the governing body for boxing, expelling them from the Olympics. The main reasons behind this decision included corruption, financial transparency, and governance issues. 

As it was clarified, Khelif was born female and has never been identified as transgender or intersex. Even the IOC had backed this, stating, “Scientifically, this is not a man fighting a woman.” Regardless, Khelif seems to be in a better place in life since she had to endure widespread hate and bullying online. 

In an Instagram post from coach Pedro Luis Díaz earlier today, Khelif, Algeria’s first gold medalist in women’s boxing and its first boxer overall to win gold since 1996, was seen posing with Hammad Zaheer, Luis Díaz, and coach Mohamed Chaoua.

Díaz captioned the post, “A sincere thank you to Minister Abderrahmane Hammad for the invitation and warm welcome. It’s been a privilege to visit with Imane Khelif and Coach Mohamed Chaoua.” Meanwhile, more misinformation about Khelif seems to have been spreading on the internet recently. 

Has Imane Khelif been stripped of Olympic gold?

Since the Olympics concluded, an October 3rd Facebook post said, “‘THE END FOR THE OLYMPIC LIAR’ – Imane Khelif Stripped Of Gold Medal And Banned For Life After WBO Confirms Male Gender Identity”. However, the Algerian boxer was never stripped of her gold medal and neither was she banned from the sport of boxing. 

Both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and her coach have confirmed these claims were baseless. Not to mention, even the World Boxing Organization (WBO) has shared a statement. According to an email from WBO to Reuters, “The WBO does not have personal or subject matter jurisdiction over amateur boxers, such as Khelif, as we do not regulate or govern amateur boxing.”

Following her grueling Olympic campaign and triumphant gold medal win, Imane Khelif is now enjoying a well-deserved return to normal life. She’s been warmly received by her country’s politicians, who are honoring her outstanding accomplishment. What did you think of the whole Olympic drama?