No, Imane Khelif not stripped of Olympic gold
Soofia Tariq
September 5, 2024
WHAT WAS CLAIMED
Imane Khelif has been stripped of her Olympic gold medal and prize money.
OUR VERDICT
False. She remains the Olympic champion.
AAP FACTCHECK – Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has been stripped of her Olympic gold medal and had $25 million prize money revoked, social media users claim.
This is false. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed she remains the gold medal winner for the women’s 66kg division, and there’s no suggestion she was stripped of any prize money she may have won.
The Algerian boxer was the subject of intense scrutiny during the Paris Olympics, leading to many claims about her gender identity.
“Shocking 0lympics! WBO President Confirms Imane Khelif is Male, Medal and $25 Million Prize Revoked,” one social media post reads.
The WBO refers to the World Boxing Organization.
A link is provided in the comments to an article claiming: “The WBO President has officially confirmed that Imane Khelif, once celebrated as a top female athlete, is in fact male.
“This shocking disclosure comes after an internal investigation, leading to the immediate revocation of his medal and the substantial $25 million prize awarded during the 0lympics.”
A different article also includes quotes supposedly attributed to the WBO president in a press conference announcing the “grave matter” and revocation of Khelif’s prize money.
However, the WBO does not run Olympic boxing and has no power to strip anyone of an Olympic medal. That power rests with the IOC.
An IOC spokesperson told AAP FactCheck “there is absolutely no truth to this claim”.
The spokesperson referred AAP FactCheck to the official medal table, which lists Khelif as the gold medal winner.
The WBO did not respond to AAP FactCheck’s request for comment.
The WBO is a separate entity to the International Boxing Association (IBA), which ran Olympic boxing before being stripped of its status as the sport’s governing body by the IOC in 2023.
Medal winners do not receive direct prize money from the IOC, though sporting federations, national Olympic committees and governments may offer athletes rewards.
Prior to the 2024 Games, the IBA said it would award prize money to boxing medallists.
It announced in May that gold medal winners would receive US$100,000, of which half would go to the athlete, with the other half to be split between their national federation and their coach.
However, there’s no suggestion Khelif has been stripped of any such prize money.
Khelif’s Olympic achievement was honoured by Algeria’s president, who awarded her and the country’s other medallists a “Medal of the National Order of Merit with financial rewards” according to a government statement, though it’s unclear how much money she received.
Reuters also reported that it’s customary for Algerian Olympic champions to be awarded gifts such as luxury cars or apartments, though whether Khelif received anything is unknown. (AAP)
