International Boxing Association (IBA) President Umar Kremlev has called for the International Olympic Committee to strip Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who made headlines during the 2024 Paris Olympics over questions about Khelif’s biological sex, of the gold medal the athlete won in women’s boxing, as well as for the IOC to issue an apology to the female athletes who competed against Khelif.
Kremlev told the Daily Mail in an interview, "There is a lot of corruption surrounding the IOC, and many violations of good sporting principles. The IOC is not fighting for the fairness in sport. The IOC is giving away medals based on their political interests. Imane Khelif should be made to return the Olympic medal from Paris."
Khelif had been disqualified from competing in IBA-sanctioned women’s events after testing conducted in 2022 and 2023 found that Khelif had XY chromosomes. In 2024, however, Khelif competed in the women's 63kg boxing division at the Paris Olympics, going home with a gold medal. The IOC allowed Khelif to compete due to its rules relying on legal documents, not testing, to determine sex.
"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," Kremlev said. "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."
Kremlev said on the decision to allow Khelif into the women’s division at the Olympics, "Thomas Bach has always put politics to the podium, not the athletes who should be there in fact. And that's why a lot of sponsors have refused working the IOC further, because they are violating sports principles. Thomas Bach is leaving his position and running away like a rat."
"He should kneel and apologise to all the female boxers who became victims of this situation [regarding gender eligibility]. And he should financially compensate every athlete who suffered. And of course, the Olympic medals should be returned."
IOC spokesman Mark Adams previously said of the testing conducted, "Those tests are not legitimate tests. The tests themselves, the process of the tests, the ad hoc nature of the tests are not legitimate. The testing, the method of the testing, the idea of the testing, which happened kind of overnight. None of it is legitimate and this does not deserve any response."
