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International Boxing Association (IBA) President Umar Kremlev is demanding that Algerian boxer Imane Khelif’s Olympic gold medal be stripped in an effort to achieve “transparency and openness.”
Khelif won a gold medal in women’s boxing at the 2024 Paris Olympics under heavy scrutiny from the IBA, which was derecognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2023 amid concerns about the organization’s governance, financial reliance on Russian state energy firm Gazprom and the integrity of the bouts.
Khelif was previously disqualified from the IBA for failing a gender eligibility test. Kremlev claimed at the time that unpublished DNA test results showed Khelif had XY chromosomes.
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The IOC defended the results of the Paris Games, stating that Khelif and another boxer that faced gender eligibility concerns were the victims of a “sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA.” Khelif has also publicly denied being transgender.
In February, World Boxing was provisionally recognized by the IOC as the sport’s governing body – a move that gave way to the organization later announcing a new gender eligibility policy that requires athletes to undergo mandatory sex testing.
The policy change comes as the United States prepares to host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. However, for Kremlev, the possibility of Khelif missing international competition is not enough. In an interview with The Sun, he called for the boxer’s gold medal to be revoked.
NEW OLYMPICS CHIEF CALLS FOR ‘PROTECTING’ WOMEN’S CATEGORY AMID GLOBAL TRANS ATHLETE WAVE
“I truly believe that a medal should be truly deserved. We must protect athletes and give them the best conditions,” he said. “I am here for truth, transparency and openness. And now the truth has been revealed.
“There should be no unfair fights in boxing and the international federations should take care of their athletes.”
Khelif did not compete in an international boxing tournament in the Netherlands last month after failing to register in time before the applications closed.
Kremlev’s comments follow a bold statement from new IOC President Kirsty Coventry, who said last month that there has been “overwhelming support” to protect women’s sports categories.
“We understand that there’ll be differences depending on the sport … but it was very clear from the members that we have to protect the female category, first and foremost to ensure fairness,” Coventry said.
“But we need to do that with a scientific approach and the inclusion of the international federations who have already done a lot of work in this area.”
Fox News Digital’s Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
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