“Silence Is No Longer An Option”: Olympic Gold Medal Boxer Imane Khelif Fires Back At Bombshell Lawsuit That Takes Aim At Her Gender

Imane Khelif

Imane Khelif has finally had enough and is fighting back.

Khelif is finally breaking her silence over the latest attempt to accuse her of being a man.

This week, the International Boxing Association filed a complaint against the International Olympic Committee for letting Khelif compete in Paris. They cited safety concerns over gender eligibility.

Similar complaints are to be filed in France and the U.S..

The boxing body cited U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order banning transgender women from female sports as validation of its stance.

Imane Khelif, who won Paris Olympics boxing gold amid major backlash over her gender, is firing back as she accused the International Boxing Association of making “false and offensive.”

“For two years, I have taken the high road while my name and image have been used, unauthorized, to further personal and political agendas through the spreading and dissemination of baseless lies and misinformation,” Khelif said in a statement. “But silence is no longer an option.

“The IBA, an organization that I am no longer associated with and which is no longer recognized by the IOC, have again made baseless accusations that are false and offensive, using them to further their agenda. This is a matter that concerns not just me but the broader principles of fairness and due process in sport.”

Khelif finished her statement by saying she won’t back down: “I am not going anywhere. I will fight in the ring, I will fight in the courts, and I will fight in the public eye until the truth is undeniable.”

The International Boxing Association responded on Wednesday, stating that it would welcome Algerian boxer Imane Khelif’s plans to take legal action against the body as it would “force our organization to reveal” two gender test results.

IBA said in a statement that the boxer was banned from participating in any IBA women’s events.

Imane Khelif Received Several Votes For Female Athlete of the Year

In 2024, many athletes garnered attention, including Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, LeBron James, Bronny James, Simone Biles, and Noah Lyles.

Nobody received as much attention as Imane Khelif, even though much of it was negative.

The world watched Khelif win Olympic gold in women’s boxing at the Paris Olympics, but more so the attention surrounding whether she was a transgender boxer facing off against women.

Late last year, a group of 74 sports journalists from The Associated Press and its members voted the AP’s Female Athlete of the Year award.

Caitlin Clark won, but Khelif was notable since she came in third place with four votes.