Imane Khelif is facing harsh criticism over the recently leaked medical reports. The Algerian boxer has been in the negative spotlight for months over the controversy surrounding her gender since her Olympics campaign kicked off with a win against Angela Carini. After her Olympic win, it seemed like things had cooled down for good, were it not for a dubious leaked report. The leaked reports only exacerbated her gender controversy woes, as they claimed she had XY chromosomes. That’s not all. Now she has to fend off protests as well.

A 2023 report submitted by Soumaya Fedala and Jacques Young recently came to light, which revealed that Khelif had an Alpha 5 reductase type 2 deficiency. For those unaware, it is a sexual development disorder found in assigned males at birth. According to the report, additional chromosomal tests also suggested that Khelif had an XY karyotype. A screengrab of this report shared on social media a few days ago resulted in an uproar, as the likes of Riley Gaines, and Piers Morgan demanded to strip the 25-year-old boxer of her Olympic gold.

Joining the fray is XX-XY Athletics, a sportswear and casualwear brand, which posted a clip of women protesting against Khelif as they make an X sign. This gesture suggests unity for the women and the XX chromosomes. In addition, the brand indicated its desire not to stop protesting. The post’s caption read, “Imane Khelif is male. And we will not stop protesting until our sports & spaces are protected. #XX #SaveWomensSports @iocmedia @Olympics.”

The leaked reports have pushed the IOC to a corner, which green-lighted Khelif’s participation at the Paris Olympics. These reports are sure to harm Khelif’s chances of transitioning as a professional, as prolonged protests might affect her in getting a promotional deal. Not to mention the skepticism in female professional boxers and their willingness to fight Khelif now. Therefore, the Tiaret native is now gearing up to file a lawsuit over the recent reports.

Imane Khelif will take the legal route

An IOC spokesperson pointed out that Khelif has decided to take legal action against individuals who fueled the recent controversy. Her earlier lawsuit, which she filed after the first wave of online attacks against her, had listed Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and JK Rowling for the cyberbullying. Now, Khelif has taken legal recourse over leaked medical reports too.

An IOC spokesperson declared, “We understand that Imane Khelif has taken legal action against individuals who commented on her situation during the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and is also preparing a lawsuit in response to the latest reporting. The IOC will not comment while legal action is ongoing or on media reports about unverified documents whose origin cannot be confirmed.” Amid these allegations, Imane Khelif has maintained that she was born and raised as a female. It remains to be seen how these leaked reports affect her career path going ahead.

What do you make of this fresh controversy surrounding Imane Khelif? Let us know in the comments below.