'I see myself as a girl': Scandal-hit Olympic champion boxer Imane Khelif hits out at Donald Trump

Trump has repeatedly called Khelif and fellow female boxing gold medalist Lin Yu-ting as men

PUBLISHED MAR 19, 2025

Khelif, who has consistently identified as female, has been at the center of a bitter divide over gender eligibility in sports

London: Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, a gold medalist at the Paris Olympics, has made it clear that US President Donald Trump’s ban on men competing in women's sports “does not intimidate” her. Khelif, who has faced intense scrutiny and controversy over her gender eligibility, remains focused on defending her title at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

In an interview with British broadcaster ITV, Khelif addressed Trump’s policies on transgender athletes, which have sparked widespread debate. “I will give you a straightforward answer: 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. That is my response,” Khelif said in excerpts released ahead of the broadcast.

The boxer’s remarks come amid a heated global conversation about gender and sports. Last month, Trump signed an executive order aimed at banning transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports. However, a federal judge recently blocked enforcement of another Trump-era executive order that sought to ban transgender individuals from serving in the military.

Khelif, who has consistently identified as female, has been at the center of a bitter divide over gender eligibility in sports. During the Paris Olympics, she faced international scrutiny and speculation about her sex, with critics questioning her eligibility to compete in women’s boxing. Despite the controversy, Khelif advanced through the competition and secured a gold medal, solidifying her place as one of the sport’s top athletes.

When asked about her aspirations for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Khelif said: “Second gold medal, of course. In America, Los Angeles.”

Trump has repeatedly labeled Khelif and fellow female boxing gold medalist Lin Yu-ting as men, despite the International Olympic Committee (IOC) firmly defending both athletes. IOC President Thomas Bach has emphasized that Khelif and Lin are not transgender and have always competed as women.

“These two women boxers have been born as women, they have been raised as women, they have competed as women, and nobody ever claimed even that they are transgender,” Bach said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. He attributed the controversy to a “Russian-led misinformation campaign” that distorted the facts surrounding their eligibility.

Both Khelif and Lin were disqualified from the 2023 world championships organized by the Russian-backed International Boxing Association, which claimed they failed eligibility tests. However, Bach dismissed these claims as part of a broader effort to undermine their achievements.

“What happened there was a Russian-led misinformation campaign which then distorted the truth, the facts, and now we have this unfortunate situation that these two athletes are considered to be transgender. But. They. Are. Not,” Bach added.

“I see myself as a girl, just like any other girl. I was born a girl, raised as a girl, and have lived my entire life as one,” Khelif told ITV. “I have competed in many tournaments, including the Tokyo Olympics and other major competitions, as well as four World Championships. All of these took place before I started winning and earning titles. But once I began achieving success, the campaigns against me started.”