Imane Khelif ‘Not Intimidated’ By Donald Trump, Plans To Compete In 2028 Olympics In L.A.
Imane Khelif plans to win another gold medal when the Summer Olympics come to Los Angeles in 2028 — no matter what Donald Trump has to say about it.
The Algerian boxer's participation in the 2024 Paris Games created a massive global controversy after it was revealed that Khelif — along with Taiwain's Lin Yu-ting — had previously been banned from the Women's World Boxing Championships over failed gender tests.
"When I saw that even heads of state, famous figures, and former athletes were speaking about me without having verified facts, it shocked me," Khelif told ITV News this week. "They were speaking about me without having verified facts. It impacted me.
"They were speaking just for the sake of talking, without any reliable or documented information. I also noticed on social media that people were discussing the issue without any trustworthy sources."
Imane Khelif competed and won gold in the women's events in Paris despite questions regarding the boxer's gender.
(Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Khelif and Yu-ting not only competed but also won gold medals in their respective women's divisions — beating every opponent by unanimous decision.
U.S. President Donald Trump addressed this controversy while signing the "Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports" executive order last month, saying, "Who could forget last year’s Paris Olympics, where a male boxer stole the women’s gold medal?"
Further, Trump said he instructed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to "make [it] clear to the International Olympics Committee that America categorically rejects transgender lunacy. We want them to change everything having to do with the Olympics and having to do with this absolutely ridiculous subject… In Los Angeles in 2028, my administration will not stand by and watch men beat and batter female athletes."
Trump's executive order also gives the secretaries of State and Homeland Security the authority to review and deny visa applications for males seeking to enter the country and compete in women's sports.
Imane Khelif Is Ready To Pummel More Women In 2028
While neither Khelif nor Yu-ting identifies as transgender, it has been reported that both are impacted by a Difference of Sexual Development (DSD), called 5-alpha reductase deficiency, that is only found in biological males.
Despite all this, though, Khelif has every intention of returning to the Olympic ring in 2028.
"I will give you a straightforward answer: the U.S. president issued a decision related to transgender policies in America. I am not transgender. This does not concern me, and it does not intimidate me. That is my response," Khelif said.
"For me, I see myself as a girl just like any other girl. I was born a girl, raised as a girl, and have lived my entire life as one."
Last month, the International Boxing Association (IBA), a Russian-led boxing body, announced that it would file criminal complaints against the International Olympic Committee (IOC) — claiming the IOC disregarded information about Khelif and Yu-Ting's gender, giving both fighters a pathway to earning gold medals and "denying opportunities to deserving female athletes" in the 2024 Olympics.
The IOC has consistently said that the two boxers complied with all rules for the Olympic tournament.