Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
What is Imane Khelif's biological gender?
Executive summary
Reporting shows multiple leaked or reported medical documents and past test results that some outlets and commentators interpret as indicating Imane Khelif has male-pattern chromosomes or internal testicular tissue; major headlines claim a leaked medical report says she is “biologically male” (e.g., Livemint, Telegraph, NDTV) [1] [2] [3]. Other outlets and organizations note disputes over procedures, due process, and the IOC’s prior decisions — and Wikipedia and advocacy groups state that no public, independently verified medical evidence proving XY chromosomes has been published in full [4] [5].
1. The allegation: leaked medical reports and past tests
Several news organisations published stories summarising a leaked medical report and earlier test results that they say indicate Khelif had internal testicles, XY markers, or other "male" biological traits; those reports were widely amplified by outlets including Livemint, The Telegraph and NDTV [1] [2] [3]. Reporting also references tests at the 2023 World Championships in New Delhi that led to Khelif’s disqualification from that event and which some accounts say showed “male” DNA or XY markers [2] [6].
2. How sports bodies reacted: disqualifications, IOC involvement, and new policies
The IBA (then the sport’s governing body) disqualified Khelif from the 2023 World Championships after gender-eligibility testing; the IOC later allowed her to compete at the Paris Olympics and the IOC’s Paris Boxing Unit criticized the IBA’s earlier action as taken without due process, according to the Wikipedia synopsis and contemporary reporting [4] [6]. In 2025 World Boxing instituted a mandatory sex-testing policy and specifically said Khelif would not be permitted to fight in the female category at its events until she undergoes testing — a development widely reported [7] [8].
3. Contradictions and limited public evidence
Despite the many headlines asserting “biological male,” available reporting also describes competing facts: the IOC permitted Khelif to compete at the Olympics, and summary accounts (e.g., Wikipedia and advocacy group fact checks) say no fully published, independently verifiable medical evidence confirming XY chromosomes or elevated testosterone levels has been made public in full [4] [5]. Time’s reporting notes the leaked-document headlines circulated widely but places those claims in context of controversy and debate over sex-testing policies [9].
4. Medical complexity and terms being used in media
Media accounts describe a range of medical concepts — internal testicles, XY karyotype, micro-penis, or differences of sexual development (DSD) — and some outlets speculate on specific conditions such as 5‑alpha reductase deficiency; these are technical categories and, in reporting, are often asserted based on leaked summaries rather than full, peer‑reviewed medical disclosure [1] [10]. TIME and other outlets warn that translating such findings into simple labels like “biological male” is medically and ethically fraught and can be misused in public debate [9].
5. Political and social amplification
The Khelif case has been seized upon by political commentators and activists on both sides of the debate. Conservative commentators and some politicians have highlighted the leaked material as proof of unfairness, while advocacy groups and the IOC framed parts of the controversy as mis- and disinformation targeting the athlete [3] [5] [9]. TIME notes the headlines were “quickly circulated” on social platforms and used in partisan messaging [9].
6. What the sources do and do not confirm
Multiple outlets report a leaked medical document and prior tests that some interpret as indicating male-pattern chromosomes or gonadal tissue [1] [2] [3]. However, Wikipedia’s summary and fact-checking organisations state that full, publicly available, independently verified medical evidence has not been published to conclusively prove an XY karyotype in a way that is transparent to independent review [4] [5]. Available sources do not mention a single, definitive, peer‑reviewed public medical report that both (a) all parties accept as authentic and (b) settles Khelif’s biological sex for legal or medical purposes.
7. Why this matters for sport and for Khelif personally
Sporting bodies make eligibility rules based on varying definitions (chromosomes, hormone levels, DSD criteria), and the dispute has prompted World Boxing to require genetic testing for competitors as of mid‑2025; that institutional change illustrates the case’s impact beyond one athlete [8] [7]. The available reporting also documents the personal consequences for Khelif: public scrutiny, legal threats about leaked material, and appeals against testing mandates [1] [4].
Conclusion — what can be stated from the available reporting
Reporting shows leaked and past testing documents have been used by many outlets to claim Imane Khelif is “biologically male,” but authoritative, fully public medical documentation accepted by all parties has not been made available in those sources; sports bodies and advocacy organisations remain in dispute over eligibility rules and the handling of evidence [1] [2] [4] [5]. Available sources do not mention a single, universally accepted public medical report that conclusively resolves Khelif’s biological sex beyond the contested leaks and differing institutional decisions [4] [9].