Imane Khelif still in the Olympics, wasn't disqualified | Fact check
The claim: The Olympic Committee disqualified boxer Imane Khelif
[En Español: Imane Khelif sigue en los Juegos Olímpicos, no fue descalificada]
An Aug. 3 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows side-by-side pictures of Olympic boxers Angela Carini of Italy and Imane Khelif of Algeria.
“Olympic Council disqualifies Imane Khelif for the simple fact that she is not a woman, after almost tearing off the head of the Italian Angela Carini," part of the post reads in Spanish.
The post was shared more than 4,000 times in six days.
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Our rating: False
The International Olympic Committee did not disqualify Khelif. The IOC has declared that Khelif and other boxers are eligible to compete, and Khelif has continued to box after her match with Carini.
Khelif moving on to Olympic gold medal match
Khelif’s name began circulating in headlines after she won the Aug. 1 bout against Carini, who forfeited less than a minute into the match after she was punched in the nose and said she couldn't continue.
Claims then began circulating that Khelif was a man competing in women’s sports, which the IOC has denied. And contrary to the Facebook post's claim, she was never disqualified from competing in the Olympics.
Khelif and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan were disqualified from the 2023 women’s boxing world championships when they reportedly failed murky gender eligibility tests. But the IOC and others have questioned the veracity of the tests.
“Women have the right to participate in women’s competitions," IOC president Thomas Bach said on Aug. 9. "And the two are women.”
The IOC responded to the controversy in an Aug. 1 joint statement with the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit.
“All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit,” the organizations wrote.
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Khelif has continued to box in matches. On Aug. 6, she won the semifinal against Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng and is scheduled to fight in the gold medal match on Aug. 9.
Paste BN reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Univision Noticias and AFP Factual also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
- NBC News, Aug. 2, Watch: Imane Khelif wins Olympic boxing match after Angela Carini withdraws
- International Olympic Committee, Aug. 1, Joint Paris 2024 Boxing Unit/IOC Statement
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