Imane Khelif has denounced “false and offensive” accusations from the International Boxing Association.
The IBA revealed this week it will file criminal complaints against the International Olympic Committee in the United States, France and Switzerland.
The Swiss-based IOC allowed female boxers Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting to compete and win gold medals in Paris last year, which “may serve as grounds for criminal prosecution,” the IBA claimed.
“I have been knocked down more times than I can count. But I have never stayed down,” Khelif said on Instagram.
“We will take all necessary legal steps to ensure that my rights and the principles of fair competition are upheld.
“Those responsible of these actions must be held accountable, and we will pursue all available legal avenues to ensure that justice prevails.”
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Olympic boxing champion Khelif says she was ‘hurt’ by the harassment she received on social media amid the row over her eligibility
The Russian-led IBA has been banished from the Olympics but it cited an executive order on transgender athletes by United States President Donald Trump to justify the criminal complaints.
Khelif said the IBA has “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.”
The IOC has consistently said the boxers from Algeria and Taiwan, who were assigned female at birth and identify as women, complied with all the rules for the Olympic tournament. Both also competed in Tokyo in 2021 and did not win medals.
Khelif boxed in Tokyo in 2021, where she lost in the quarter-finals
Khelif and Lin were disqualified from the 2023 world championships run by the IBA, which said they failed eligibility tests.
“The two female athletes mentioned by IBA are not transgender athletes,” the IOC reiterated on Monday.
Khelif advanced through the Olympic Games amid international scrutiny and uninformed speculation about her sex . Despite being born and raised as a woman, she found herself at the centre of debates about gender, sex and sports after failing unspecified eligibility tests for women’s competition from the IBA in 2023.
Khelif celebrates with the 66kgs Women’s boxing gold medal
“I have seen adversity before,” Khelif said.
“I have fought through every setback, every false accusation, every attempt to erase me. And I have won. Each obstacle has only strengthened my resolve. I will continue to compete with honour and integrity.”
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