Imane Khelif (Arabic: إيمان خليف, romanized: ʾĪmān Khalīf, pronounced [ʔiːˈmaːn xəˈliːf]; born 2 May 1999) is an Algerian professional boxer.

Following Khelif's victory over Italy's Angela Carini during the 2024 Olympic Games, misinformation surfaced on social media about her gender and eligibility to compete.

In her early years, she had to commute to Tiaret to attend training sessions, and sold bread and scrap metal to afford the bus fare.

[15][19][better source needed] In March 2021, she won a gold medal at the Istanbul Bosphorus International Boxing Tournament, defeating Anastasia Belyakova in the final of the women's lightweight event.

[20][better source needed][21] She represented Algeria in the women's lightweight event at the 2020 Summer Olympics,[22] where she was defeated by Ireland's Kellie Harrington in the quarterfinals.

[10] In February 2022, Khelif won a gold medal at the Strandja Memorial Tournament after defeating Nataliya Sychugova in the final of the women's 63 kg event.

The disqualification came amid allegations from the Russian-led International Boxing Association's (IBA) that Khelif had failed unspecified eligibility tests.

[17][40] On 31 July 2024, regarding their 2023 decision, the IBA stated that Khelif and others "did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test, whereby the specifics remain confidential", and further alleged that they "were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors".

[41][better source needed] The following day, the IOC released their own statement in response, stating that the IBA's decision was "sudden and arbitrary" and "without any due process".

[4]In July 2023, four months after the IBA Championships disqualification, Khelif represented Algeria at the Arab Games, where she won a gold medal in the women's welterweight event.

[15][17] In April, she won the women's 66 kg event at the World Boxing Cup in Pueblo, Colorado, U.S., defeating Emilie Sonvico in the final.

[51] During the IBA press conference in Paris on 5 August 2024, the organization's position and its president, Umar Kremlev, regarding the nature of the conducted tests changed and became contradictory.

The situation was exacerbated by Kremlev's statements, who repeatedly criticized IOC President Thomas Bach, declared his intention to initiate legal proceedings against him, and expressed dissatisfaction with the Olympic Games opening ceremony, calling it "humiliating".

[61][64] Khelif's win came after she faced intense public scrutiny over her eligibility to compete in the women's category, including from celebrities and world leaders.

[75] The next day, Carini apologized to Khelif via the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, stating, "All this controversy makes me sad [...] I'm sorry for my opponent, too.

"[78] At a news conference on 3 August 2024, IOC President Thomas Bach defended the participation of Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, saying, "There was never any doubt about them being a woman.