PARIS – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Nov. 6 that it is taking legal action against Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who defied the debate over gender conformity to win Olympic gold, following media reports that medical records had been leaked.

Reports published in France this week claimed that 25-year-old Khelif has XY, or male, chromosomes.

The gender debate flared up at the Paris Games in August, when Khelif defeated Angela Carini in 46 seconds in the opening match, and the Italian athlete burst into tears and left the fight after suffering a serious injury to her nose.

This sparked a controversy that attracted comments from politicians and figures from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Harry Potter author JK Rowling.

“We understand that Imane Khelif has initiated legal action against those who commented on her condition during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and is also preparing to file a lawsuit in response to the latest reports,” the IOC said in a statement.

“The IOC will not comment on media reports while legal action is ongoing or about unverified documents whose source cannot be verified.”

The IOC said Khelif had competed in the women’s category in international competitions “for many years”, including the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and the International Boxing Association (IBA) world championships and IBA-sanctioned tournaments.

The organization added that it “regrets the harassment Imane Khelif is currently experiencing.”

The IOC took over the boxing competition in Paris after losing patience with the IBA over financial and governance issues.

The IBA, led by Umar Kremlev, retaliated during the Games by saying it had disqualified Khelif and Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu-ting from the world championships in 2023 because gender tests showed “they are men”.

Khelif and Lin, who won gold in the women’s 57 kilos, were both allowed by the IOC to compete in Paris.

Khelif, who received a hero’s welcome when he returned to Algeria after his Olympic victory, has already filed a complaint in France for online harassment. AFP, REUTERS