A post shared on Threads claims Olympic boxer Imane Khelif was declared a man by the World Boxing Organization (WBO), receiving a lifetime ban from boxing and being stripped of her medals and $25 million in prize money.
Verdict: False
This claim is baseless. There is no evidence WBO released such a statement.
Fact Check:
Olympic Boxing’s future is uncertain as the the Internal Olympic Committee (IOC) has set a deadline of early next year for a credible governing body to take the place of the International Boxing Association (IBA), according to AP News. The Algerian boxing federation has also joined the effort to save the Olympic sport’s future, the outlet reported.
A Threads post claims Khelif has been banned from boxing for life and had her medals and prize money confiscated. The post shared an image of Khelif screaming and one of her draped in her country’s flag.
“‘The Decision Has Been Made’ – Imane Khelif Receives Lifetime Ban After Being Declared A Man By The WBO, Losing All Her Medals And $25 Million Prize Money,” the post reads.
The post links an article reiterating the claim, but this article provides no evidence, instead referencing a WBO statement that was purportedly released last week. There is no such announcement on the WBO’s website, however. There are no credible news reports to corroborate the claim. Likewise, Khelif did not mention such news on her Instagram or X accounts. (RELATED: Did Vogue Algeria Feature Imane Khelif On Cover?)
It is true that a WBO official warned the IOC that Khelif had failed a gender test administered by the IBA, according to the Daily Mail. IOC President Thomas Bach called the IBA’s gender tests “illegitimate,” however, and said that there is no doubt Khelif is a biological woman.
A statement from the IOC says that Khelif was “suddenly disqualified without any due process” by the IBA and that the IOC no longer recognizes IOC as of 2023 following its suspension in 2019. It also adds that Khelif has been competing in the women’s category for many years in IBA events as well as in the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020.
Khelif could not have had $25 million in prize money taken away, as she did not have this great a sum to begin with. Paris gold medallists in boxing received $100,000 in prize money from the IBA, despite this organization not organizing the event, according to BBC.
Check Your Fact reached out to a WBO spokesperson for comment.