Imane Khelif, the Algerian boxer who won gold at the Paris Olympics amid a gender firestorm, has said she is not intimidated by Donald Trump and wants to defend her crown at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
Khelif was at the center of a bitter furor during last year’s Olympics, when she was criticized by the likes of Trump, Elon Musk and JK Rowling.
The boxer faced allegations that she should be banned from competing in the women’s competition. It came after Khelif was disqualified from the 2023 world championships amid disputed claims that she failed gender eligibility tests.
She went on to claim gold in the welterweight division in Paris and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is now facing legal action for allowing Khelif to compete.
Trump signed an executive order entitled ‘Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports’. The president recently referred to Khelif as a ‘male boxer’ who had ‘transitioned’ and ‘stole the women’s gold medal after brutalizing his female opponent.’
Now, though, the Algerian has hit back at Trump, insisting she will not be ‘intimidated’.
Imane Khelif says she is not intimidated by Donald Trump and wants to fight at the LA Olympics
The Algerian boxer who won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics amid a gender firestorm
‘The US President issued a decision related to transgender policies in America. I am not transgender. This does not concern me, and it does not intimidate me,’ she told ITV.
‘I have learned so much from this campaign against me, and what happened at the Paris Olympics was an eye-opening experience.
‘I feel even stronger now than I was before…. if the old Imane operated at 50 percent of her potential, then the Imane Khalif of today is even more motivated and determined.’
She claimed winning gold was ‘the best response after all the bullying’, claiming: ‘I believe the gold medal at the Paris Olympics was the best medal of the entire Games.
‘It was a victory that held significance on every level—ethical, athletic, and even in terms of sportsmanship.’
But Khelif has claimed the alleged ‘bullying’ by big names such as Musk and Rowling left her mother ‘going to the hospital almost every day’ and almost saw her ‘fall into a spiral of depression’.
‘When I saw that even heads of state, famous figures, and former athletes were speaking about me without having verified facts, it shocked me,’ Khelif said.
‘It affected me mentally, as well as my family. Even my mother was deeply affected —she was going to the hospital almost every day.
The boxer faced allegations that she should be banned from competing in the women’s event
Khelif filed a criminal complaint over alleged cyberbullying, which reportedly named Elon Musk
She added: ‘This went beyond just a sporting issue or a game… I was deeply affected mentally and felt discouraged, but I remained aware of what was happening.
‘Even during the Paris Olympics, I had a team of specialist doctors who provided me with support and assistance. Without their support, I might have fallen into a spiral of depression.’
Khelif last year filed a criminal complaint over alleged cyberbullying during the Paris Olympics, which reportedly named Harry Potter author Rowling and Musk, the owner of X.
Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting was also disqualified by the International Boxing Association (IBA) before winning gold in Paris.
