Why Imane Khelif won’t be forced to give back Olympic gold medal 12 months on from gender scandal

Khelif had been permitted to compete at the Olympics despite previously being disqualified from the women’s world championships, having failed two gender eligibility tests.

The fighter, now 26, smacked Carini’s chinstrap – with a second punch then seeing blood spray onto the Italian’s shorts.

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Imane Khelif won gold at the Paris Olympics last summer amid gender controversy

After just 46 seconds, Carini had had enough. Speaking afterwards, she said: “I have never felt a punch like this.

“I got into the ring to fight. I didn’t give up, but one punch hurt too much and so I said enough. I’m going out with my head held high.

“After the second punch, after years of experience, I felt a strong pain in the nose. I said enough, because I didn’t want. I couldn’t finish the fight after the punch to the nose. So it was better to put an end to it.”

She added: “Even if they had said that we wouldn’t fight, I would never have accepted it. I have a warrior’s mentality. This time I didn’t manage. I felt too much pain on my nose. I said enough.

“It’s not a defeat for me – for me if you go in the ring you have already won, regardless of everything else.

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“I’m not here to judge. It’s not up to me to say if it’s fair or not fair. I just did my job. I managed to leave with my head held high.

“I’m a mature woman; when I feel I cannot continue, its not giving in, it’s having the dignity to say enough.

“I was convinced I would win, I was concentrated, serene. But these punches to the nose hurt, I said enough.”

Khelif proceeded to win gold at the Olympics, despite the controversy over whether the Algerian should be competing or not.

And over the past year, there have been numerous calls for the 26-year-old to return the gold medal that was secured in Paris last year.

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Imane Khelif beat Angela Carini a year ago today at the Paris Olympics

IBA president Umar Kremlev, speaking earlier this summer, condemned the IOC for letting Khelif compete at the Games.

“The IOC is not fighting for the fairness in sport,” he told the Daily Mail.

“The IOC is giving away medals based on their political interests. Imane Khelif should be made to return the Olympic medal from Paris.”

Kremlev then elaborated on the gender tests which Khelif reportedly failed two years ago.

He continued: “The first test was carried out during the 2022 World Championships, after we noticed some suspicious, suspicious moments.

“We decided to test a group of athletes, not just one or two. Two of the results came back, let’s say, abnormal.

“It was the first time we had encountered a situation like this, so we felt it was necessary to conduct a second round of testing to be absolutely sure before making such a serious decision.

“That second test was done in 2023 and confirmed the same findings as the first. Both tests showed XY chromosomes.

“That does not meet the eligibility requirements for female boxing. After that, the athletes were disqualified, and of course, we informed the IOC about the situation.”

However, Khelif won’t be forced to give back last year’s gold – despite the controversy the boxer’s participation in the competition caused.

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Imane Khelif was permitted to compete at the Paris Olympics by the IOC due to their gender eligibility rules

Doraine Lambelet Coleman, a Thomas L. Perkins Distinguished Professor of Laws at Duke Law School, explained to Newsweek in June: “The IOC would not revoke medals won by athletes who were eligible according to the rules it set for the boxing competition in Paris.

“Unlike the eligibility rules set by the IBA and now WB, those rules did not require competitors to be biologically female.”

The IOC used to use genetic testing to verify the genders of athletes. They then decided to change tact due to ethical and scientific concerns.

Kirsty Coventry, who was recently appointed at the new president of the IOC, has since insisted the organisation will do everything possible to protect women’s sports.

“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,” said the 41-year-old.

Kirsty Coventry has insisted the IOC will protect the female category going forward but won’t be taking any retrospective action

“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.”

Coventry also insisted the IOC wouldn’t be taking Khelif’s medal away, too.

She added: “We’re not going to be doing anything retrospectively. We’re going to be looking forward. From the members [it] was ‘what are we learning from the past, and how are we going to leverage that and move that forward to the future?'”