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The World Boxing Organization (WBO) has denied that Olympic champion Imane Khelif was stripped of her gold medal for a gender eligibility defeat, calling the reports “patently false and made with malicious intent.”
The 25-year-old Algerian sparked controversy at this year's Paris Olympics festival after revealing she had previously been kicked out of the World Championships for allegedly failing a gender test.
Khelif, 25, who won gold in the women's welterweight division this summer, is taking legal action over alleged online harassment over a gender dispute.
Now the controversy has apparently been renewed after a report from an online sports blog claimed that Khelif had been given a lifetime boxing ban by the WBO and stripped of her medal.
However, because Kehlif is an amateur boxer, the WBO would have no jurisdiction and boxing authorities have since denied all false claims.
The 25-year-old Algerian (pictured) sparked controversy at this year's Paris Olympics after it was revealed she had previously been banned from the World Championships
Khelif, 25, who won gold in the women's welterweight division this summer, is taking legal action over alleged online harassment
Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng and Algeria's Imane Khelif (blue) compete in the semi-final women's 66 kg boxing match at this year's Olympic Games
In a statement, the WBO said: “The World Boxing Organization has advised that it has not tested or banned boxer Imane Khelif, who won a gold medal during the boxing tournament at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.
“Reports claiming that the WBO has banned Khelifa are patently false.
“We had no contact with Khelif. We congratulate her and wish her good luck in all her future endeavors.”
WBO legal counsel Gustavo Olivieri added: “Any report stating otherwise is patently false and made with malicious intent.
“She worked hard to win this medal.”
The World Championships were organized by the International Boxing Association (IBA) under the leadership of Russia.
However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) later stripped it of its status as a world governing body due to integrity and governance issues.
The IOC also questioned the reliability and legality of the IBA's gender tests, saying they could not be relied upon.
Team Algeria's Imane Khelif poses for a photo after winning the gold medal at this year's Paris Games
“The lawsuit names, among others, JK Rowling and Elon Musk,” Khelif's lawyer wrote in X
Nabil Boudi told Variety that the complaint mentions the names of the Tesla tycoon (pictured) and the Harry Potter author
In a speech after her Olympic victory, Khelif said she was a victim of “abuse” and that the IBA “hates me and I really don't know why.”
She added: “I was born a woman. I lived as a woman. I started as a woman – there is no doubt about it.”
Elon Musk and JK Rowling have been named in a lawsuit filed with French authorities over alleged “acts of aggravated online harassment” after sparking outrage over Khelifa's participation in the Paris Olympics.
Nabil Boudi, the gold medalist's Paris-based lawyer, told Variety that the criminal complaint named the Tesla tycoon and the Harry Potter author.
“The suit names JK Rowling and Elon Musk, among others,” Boudi wrote on X, noting that Donald Trump will also be part of the investigation.
Possible consequences for cyberbullying offenses in France include prison sentences of two to five years and fines ranging from £26,000 to £39,000.
If charged with online hate speech, perpetrators could be fined between £64,000 and £214,000.
