Imane Khelif: podcast appearances and interviews

Imane Khelif is an Algerian professional boxer born on May 2, 1999. She made her international debut at the 2018 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships, competing in both lightweight and welterweight categories. Khelif reached the quarterfinals of the women's lightweight event at the 2020 Summer Olympics and has achieved notable success at regional competitions. She secured a silver medal at the 2022 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships and won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics, where she competed in the women's welterweight division. Following her Olympic victory, Khelif faced controversy after online claims falsely suggested she was a man, despite her being born female and competing exclusively in women’s categories. Her disqualification from the 2023 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships was criticized by the International Olympic Committee as sudden and arbitrary. This disqualification was linked to alleged sex verification issues; however, Khelif has not participated in events organized by the World Boxing organization since the introduction of mandatory sex verification testing in May 2025. Her ongoing appeal concerns this requirement. In a February 2026 interview, Khelif disclosed she has high levels of testosterone and has been reducing it under medical supervision. She expressed her willingness to undergo the compulsory sex verification tests mandated by the IOC.