Olympic boxer Imane Khelif admits to having male genes, but sends message to Trump: 'I'm not trans'

Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif has added yet another twist to the story of men competing in women's sports.

After dominating women in the 66kg competition at the Paris Olympics in 2024, Khelif was reported by four different sources to be a male.

'He cannot twist the truth. I'm not trans; I'm a girl. I was raised as a girl.'

Last year, World Athletics announced it would introduce mandatory gene testing for athletes wanting to compete in the women's category, particularly for the SRY gene. That gene is found on the Y chromosome, which only men have.

After more than a year of denying being a male, Khelif has admitted to having the SRY gene, but still claims to be a female. Khelif also maintains an openness to testing.

French outlet L'Équipe asked Khelif about having a "a female phenotype" while still having "the SRY gene," to which Khelif replied, "Yes, and it's natural. I have female hormones. And people don't know it, but I've already lowered my testosterone levels for competitions."

"I am surrounded by doctors, a professor follows me, and I have taken hormonal treatments to lower my testosterone levels," the boxer explained. "For the qualifying tournament for the Paris Games, which took place in Dakar, I lowered my testosterone levels to zero. And I won the gold medal there."

The outlet noted that the average levels for women are between 0.3 and 3 nanomoles of testosterone per liters of blood. If Khelif is being accurate, there would likely be a significant number of health effects related to lowering testosterone levels close to zero. This would include low bone health and depleted energy levels.

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Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Khelif was persistent throughout the interview, saying, "We all have different genetics; we all have different hormone levels. I am not a transsexual. My difference is natural. I am like that. I have done nothing to change the way nature has made me."

"That's why I'm not afraid," the gold medalist went on. "For the next Games, if you have to take a test, I will submit to it. I have no problem with that. I have already done this test. I contacted World Boxing, sent them my medical records, my hormone tests, everything. But I got no response. I don't hide; I don't refuse tests. What I don't understand is why people want to exaggerate my story so much."

The aforementioned reports regarding Khelif's sex have all shown the boxer to be a male with XY chromosomes. This includes tests by the International Boxing Association, the World Boxing Organization, and other endocrinological experts.

3 Wire Sports reported that the athlete's alleged medical condition is formally described as 5-alpha reductase type-2 deficiency. The report said Khelif has XY chromosomes, internal testes, and a "micropenis."

Moving forward, both World Athletics and the WBO will begin testing for the SRY gene.

However, there does exist a possible, very rare way for a person to have female chromosomes (XX) while still having the SRY gene; this is referred to as 46,XX testicular difference of sex development.

This is a genetic abnormality in those with XX chromosomes who develop male sex characteristics, including testes, that may be small and undescended. This causes those who do not have a Y chromosome to develop male sex characteristics.

According to Medline Plus, this occurs "as a random event during the formation of sperm cells in the affected person's father. In this condition, the SRY gene (which is on the Y chromosome) is misplaced, almost always onto an X chromosome."

However, Khelif claims to have a female phenotype and to be a natural woman.

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Photo by Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

Khelif was asked about participating in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and for thoughts on President Trump. Khelif said, "I don't mix sport with politics," before adding, "I respect everyone, and I respect Trump. Because he is the president of the United States."

However, Khelif still remained steadfast in a message to the president: "He cannot twist the truth. I'm not trans; I'm a girl. I was raised as a girl, I grew up as a girl, the people of my village always knew me as a girl. I respect him if he respects the truth."

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