‘XY controversy’ women’s boxing gold medalist… “Internal testicles” medical report leaked
Publication date: 2024-11-07 23:20
<img src="https://img.etnews.com/news/article/2024/08/10/rcv.YNA.20240810.PAP20240810269601009_P1.jpg" alt="'2024 Paris Olympics' boxing women's 66kg gold medalist Imane Khalif (Algeria). Photo = AP Yonhap News” style=”cursor:pointer;” itemprop=”image”/>’2024 Paris Olympics’ boxing women’s 66kg gold medalist Imane Khalif (Algeria). Photo = AP Yonhap News
Amid gender controversy, a medical report was leaked showing that Imane Khalif (26), who won the women’s 66kg boxing gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and emerged as an Algerian sports star, is biologically male.
According to the Hindustan Times on the 5th (local time), citing a medical report recently obtained by French journalist Jafar Ait Audia, it was reported that Caliph has genetic 5-alpha reductase deficiency disorder, a sexual disorder that only occurs in men.
According to ‘Medline Plus’, an online information site operated by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, people with this disorder are genetically classified as male.
The medical report of Imane Khalif, an Algerian female boxer, revealed to have been obtained by a French journalist. Photo = X Capture/French journalist Djaffar Ait Aoudia
Although it has XY chromosomes and male gonads (testes), it is a disorder in which the male hormone testosterone cannot be converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). A hormone called 5-alpha reductase is responsible for the chemical reaction that converts testosterone to DHT.
5-alpha reductase deficiency disorder is sometimes classified as female because the external genitalia appear female.
However, the leaked report contained the results of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test that showed the Caliph had no uterus and had a dwarf penis that looked like internal testicles and a clitoris. It is known that the testosterone level itself is at the level of a typical male.
The leaked report is a draft jointly written by France’s Kremlin-Vest Hospital and Algeria’s Mohamed Ramin Dbagin Hospital in June last year.
Previously, during the Paris Olympics, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach spoke on behalf of the Caliph, saying, “I was born a woman and raised as a woman,” and “I hope that she will be respected as a woman and as a human being.”
Regarding the argument against his participation, Caliph also said, “It can destroy people, it can kill their minds and hearts. He appealed, “Please stop the harassment,” and expressed his position that it was unfair.
He also sued several netizens, including famous ‘Harry Potter’ series author J.K. Rowling and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who publicly sniped at him, for cyberbullying.
Khalif, who won Algeria’s first female boxing gold medal despite many difficulties, including a poor family background and gender controversy, emerged as Algeria’s sports star. However, as a medical report was leaked showing that he was in fact a biological male with internal testicles, local voices are calling for his gold medal to be recalled.
Reporter Seo Hee-won shw@etnews.com
