SPORTS FACTS AND FIGURES 80: ALGERIAN BOXER IMANE KHELIF IS NOT STRIPPED OF HER OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL AND PRIZE MONEY
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 11 Oct 2024
The news over social media that Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has been stripped of her Olympic gold medal and had $25 million prize money recalled, as social media users claimed, is false. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed the gold medal remains in her possession for the women’s 66kg division in boxing, and there are no plans of stripping any prize money that she may have won.
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The Algerian boxer Khelif was the subject of controversy in the Paris Olympics boxing competition, with several questions surrounding her gender.
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“Shocking Olympics! WBO President Confirms Imane Khelif is Male, Medal and $25 Million Prize Revoked,” was posted on social media. The WBO being referred to was the World Boxing Organization.
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One of the Facebook posts spreading the false information on social media, provides a link in the comments to an article claiming: “The WBO President has officially confirmed that Imane Khelif, once celebrated as a top female athlete, is in fact male. This shocking disclosure comes after an internal investigation, leading to the immediate revocation of his medal and the substantial $25 million prize awarded during the Olympics.”
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Another post also wrote quotes supposedly attributed to the WBO president in a press conference announcing the “grave matter” and revocation of Khelif’s prize money. However, the WBO does not interfere with Olympic boxing and has no power to strip anyone of an Olympic medal. That power rests with the International Olympic Committee.
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An IOC spokesperson was quoted by AAP FactCheck that “there is absolutely no truth to this claim”. The spokesperson referred AAP FactCheck to the official medal table, which still lists Khelif as the gold medal winner.
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The WBO did not respond to AAP FactCheck’s request for comment. The WBO is a separate entity to the International Boxing Association (IBA), which ran Olympic boxing before being stripped of its status as the sport’s governing body by the IOC in 2023.
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There’s no evidence that the prize money of Khelif was revoked. Medal winners do not receive direct prize money from the IOC, though sporting federations, national Olympic committees and governments may offer athletes rewards.
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Prior to the 2024 Games, the IBA said it would award prize money to boxing medalists. It announced in May that gold medal winners would receive US$100,000, of which half would go to the athlete, with the other half to be split between their national federation and their coach.
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However, there’s no information that Khelif has been stripped of any such prize money. Khelif’s Olympic achievement was honored by Algeria’s president, who awarded her and the country’s other medalists a “Medal of the National Order of Merit with financial rewards” according to a government statement, though it’s unclear how much money she received.
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Reuters also reported that it’s a tradition for Algeria to award its Olympic champions with gifts such as luxury cars or apartments, but it was not reported whether Khelif has received any of these awards.
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After Khelif's victory over Italy's Angela Carini during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, false information spread on social media regarding her gender and eligibility to compete. There were false accusations that Khelif is male and it started when Khelif was disqualified from the 2023 Women's World Boxing Championships, which was organized by the Russian-led International Boxing Association (IBA) after she allegedly failed unspecified gender eligibility tests.
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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its Paris Boxing Unit stated Khelif was eligible to compete in the Olympics and criticized the IBA's previous disqualification. IOC affirmed that Khelif was born female, and there is no medical evidence that she has XY chromosomes or high levels of testosterone that were published.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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