Is Imane Khelif Male or Female

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The Summer Olympic games of 2024 saw a peculiar case of uncertain sex determination, specifically in the women’s boxing competition. Algerian boxer Imane Khelif’s eligibility to compete was brought into question. Khelif had previously been banned from the women’s World Boxing Championship due to a failure to pass their standards for female athletes. Essentially, the International Boxing Association ruled that Khelif was not female. The Olympic Committee ruled otherwise and Khelif eventually won gold in the competition, causing significant controversy along the way. In this article, Jill Cook examines the question of whether Khelif is male or female by examining several disorders in sexual development that may have contributed to the confusion surrounding Khelif’s sex.