Khelif was chosen as one of Algeria’s flag bearers for the Olympic closing ceremony in Paris on Sunday.
The coach of Imane Khelif, the Olympic gold medalist in the center of gender row, has admitted that a « chromosomal issue » led to her ban from women’s boxing last year. The International Boxing Association (IBA) disqualified her from competition following medical tests that indicated the strong welterweight was « biologically male. »
However, Khelif overcame all challengers in the Olympics after being allowed to compete as a woman based solely on her passport stating « female. » However, her coach, Georges Cazorla, has now confirmed that the tests revealed « a hormone issue » along with « a chromosome issue », indicating that she might possess the XY chromosomes typically associated with males, which has created a problem.
Coach Reveals Truth Behind Chromosomes
« This poor young girl was devastated, devastated to suddenly discover that she might not be a girl », Cazorla told French magazine Le Point.
Italy’s Angela Carini tossed her helmet to the ground and broke down in tears after just two powerful punches from Khelif during the round of 16 on August 1.
