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Imane Khelif: Lawsuit against French media company

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Imane Khelif: Lawsuit against French media company

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Imane Khelif“See you in court”: Controversial boxer files lawsuit

Controversial boxer Imane Khelif is suing a French media house following reports about her sexual characteristics. The IOC also comments.

Andri BäggliFabrizio Bonazza
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Imane Khelif comments on the allegations in a television interview.

Rai 3

  • Boxer Imane Khelif defends herself against the recently published reports.

  • In an interview, the Algerian confirmed the legal action against a French media company.

  • The IOC expresses concern about the hatred Khelif receives and supports her participation in the Olympics.

The controversy surrounding boxer Imane Khelif is entering the next round. Last week, the French investigative magazine “Le Correspondant” quoted two medical reports from 2023 that said Khelif had neither a uterus nor ovaries. The Algerian woman is said to have internal testicles, a penis-like clitoris and a deformed vagina.

The 25-year-old gold medalist from the Paris Olympics has now taken legal action against the media house, as she said in a television interview with the Italian TV channel Rai 3. “Yes, I saw the article. My lawyers have informed me. “We immediately took legal action,” said Khelif, “we’ll see you in court.”

She could not say more at the moment due to the ongoing proceedings. But the boxer also sends a message to her critics: “Every person who is successful also has enemies. And that’s what we see today.”

IOC comments

The International Olympic Committee IOC also commented after the article was published. Khelif is understood to have taken legal action, an IOC spokesman says. The IOC also does not want to comment further on the process.

However, the IOC once again made it clear: “All athletes who took part in the Olympic Games met the conditions of participation and medical requirements.” The Olympic Committee is “depressed” by the hatred that Khelif has experienced since Paris.

Men, women, intersexuals: the diversity of the genders

It is not always easy to determine what gender someone is. Especially not just by looking down your pants. Because Sexual characteristics There are all variations: From the penis to the clitoris there is a smooth transition. For example, the clitoris can be enlarged or the penis atrophied and the testicles can be on the inside instead of outside (see photo series here). Experts then speak of intersexuality or intersex.

Also die chromosomes are not always clear. Women normally have two X chromosomes, while men have one X and one Y chromosome. But there are exceptions, such as the combination XXY or XYY, which also fall into the area of ​​intersex.

Both sexes produce both male sex hormone like testosterone, female hormones like estrogen and progesterone, but in different amounts. On average, testosterone levels in men are about ten times higher than in women. There are exceptions here too: some men have low testosterone levels and some women have high testosterone levels. Therefore, hormone levels cannot be clearly used to determine gender.