Imane Khelif Fires Back at Donald Trump as She Makes 2028 Olympic Announcement

Imane Khelif has sent a defiant message to Donald Trump and other critics ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Algerian boxer Khelif, 26, has faced immense scrutiny since winning the women's welterweight gold at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, amid speculation over her gender eligibility.

Both Khelif and Taiwanese fighter Lin Yu-ting were disqualified from the 2023 Boxing World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) for allegedly failing gender eligibility tests.

However, after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripped the IBA of its status as boxing's world governing body in June 2023, Khelif and Yu-ting were both cleared to compete at the Olympics in Paris.

Khelif comprehensively defeated Italy's Angela Carini in just 46 seconds in one of her opening bouts at the Games, reigniting the debate over her eligibility to compete.

The Algerian went on to comprehensively defeat China's Yang Liu by unanimous decision to win Olympic gold.

Khelif's future in the sport was thrown into doubt last year when boxing's new governing body, World Boxing, announced it had introduced mandatory genetic tests for athletes to 'determine their sex at birth and their eligibility to compete'.

Khelif won gold at the 2024 Olympic Games (Image: Getty)

World Boxing controversially cited Khelif when announcing the new regulations, with the president of the body later forced to apologise publicly to the Algerian.

Khelif has so far refused to undergo the new genetic testing and is currently barred from competing in any World Boxing event, including the Olympic Games.

In August, she lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the introduction of mandatory tests, with a ruling yet to be announced.

However, Khelif has now stated she would take a gender test if it allowed her to compete at the 2028 Olympics in LA.

Speaking to CNN, Khelif said: "Of course, I would accept doing anything I'm required to do to participate in competitions.

"They should protect women, but they need to pay attention that while protecting women, they shouldn't hurt other women."

Khelif also fired back at those who have incorrectly labelled her as a male or transgender athlete.

This includes US President Trump, who last month controversially referred to Khelif as a "male boxer" during an address to Republican Party members in Washington.

"I'm not transgender. I’m a woman. I want to live my life… please do not exploit me in your political agendas," added Khelif.

She has announced her intention to compete at the 2028 Olympic Games in LA (Image: Getty)

New IOC president Kirsty Coventry was elected in March last year after pledging to "protect the female category" in sport.

CNN report that Coventry has supported stricter eligibility guidelines and has not ruled out a return to genetic testing based on more narrow biological markers, a practice the IOC had previously called a "terrible thing to do".

It comes after Trump signed an executive order in February 2025, preventing transgender women from competing in female categories of sports in the United States.

The Trump administration claim the measure, controversially called 'Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports', restores fairness to sports and protects non-trans women.

However, LGBT advocacy and human rights groups have branded the move as discriminatory.