By Associated Press
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif says that President Donald Trump’s stance on gender in sports “does not intimidate” her and plans to defend her gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics.
Khelif, who found herself in the middle of a bitter divide about gender eligibility during the Paris Olympics, was asked about Trump’s policies during an interview with British broadcaster ITV scheduled to be aired on Wednesday.
“I will give you a straightforward answer: the U.S. president issued a decision related to transgender policies in America. I am not transgender. This does not concern me, and it does not intimidate me. That is my response,” Khelif said in excerpts of the interview that were released ahead of the broadcast.
Khelif then interrupted a question about her dream of repeating gold at the next Summer Games in 2028: “Second gold medal, of course,” she said. “In America, Los Angeles.”
Last month, Trump signed an executive order intended to ban transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.
On Tuesday, a federal judge blocked enforcement of another Trump executive order to ban transgender people from military service.
Trump has repeatedly labeled Khelif and fellow female boxing gold medalist Lin Yu-ting as men, even though the International Olympic Committee has consistently defended both boxers.
“These two women boxers have been born as women, they have been raised as women, they have competed as women and nobody ever claimed even that they are transgender,” IOC President Thomas Bach said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
Both had been disqualified from the 2023 world championships run by the Russian-backed International Boxing Association, which said they failed eligibility tests.
“What happened there was a Russian-led misinformation campaign which then distorted the truth, the facts, and now we have this unfortunate situation that these two athletes are considered to be transgender. But. They. Are. Not,” Bach addded.
Khelif advanced through the Olympic Games amid international scrutiny and speculation about her sex.
“I see myself as a girl, just like any other girl. I was born a girl, raised as a girl, and have lived my entire life as one,” Khelif told ITV. “I have competed in many tournaments, including the Tokyo Olympics and other major competitions, as well as four World Championships. All of these took place before I started winning and earning titles. But once I began achieving success, the campaigns against me started.”
AP
