Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif has revealed a new look after opening up on a ‘difficult’ phase in her career.
Khelif had been one of two boxers at the centre of a gender eligibility storm at last year’s Paris 2024 Olympics.
The Algerian had been deemed eligible to compete at the Olympics, despite the International Boxing Association previously disqualifying the fighter and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting from their World Championships in 2023.
The former governing body for the sport had claimed Khelif and Lin had failed gender eligibility tests, leading to their disqualification.
Both fighters would ultimately go on to win gold medals in women’s boxing events at Paris 2024, with Olympic bosses coming under fire amid the controversy.
Since the Olympics, the new governing body World Boxing have confirmed fighters will be required to undergo mandatory sex screening to compete in their events.
Khelif skipped her comeback event in the weeks following the announcement.
The alleged 2023 medical test that claimed the boxer was ‘biologically male’ was leaked in June, leading to some to call for the boxer to be stripped of the Olympic gold medal.
A report on the medical test allegedly seen by 3 Wire Sports said that ‘chromsome analysis reveals male karotype’ – an XY chromosome pair.
On Tuesday, Khelif showed her latest makeover after being pictured with television host and podcaster Nassima Djaffar Bey.
Djaffar Bey shared a photo on Instagram with Khelif, who appeared with make-up and flowing hair, with the caption ‘Always a pleasure’.
Khelif last week admitted to going through a ‘difficult phase’ in a cryptic Instagram post, which was shared on the one year anniversary of winning Olympic gold.
‘It was an unforgettable moment a moment where my tears mixed with the awe of pride, a moment where my country’s flag soared high, and I held my head up with the strength of a boxer and the heart of a human,’ Khelif wrote.
‘Today, on the anniversary of that triumph, I’m going through a difficult phase filled with challenges, silence, and waiting…
‘But despite everything, the spirit that fought for gold still beats within me.
‘I still believe that every fall is a prelude to a stronger rise, and that every delay carries within it a test of faith and willpower.
‘True strength lies not only in victory, but in perseverance against all odds.
‘I am Imane Khelif a champion yesterday, resilient today, and determined to return tomorrow.
‘Thank you to everyone who still believes in me… And to myself, thank you for never giving up.’
Khelif has yet to return to the ring since winning Olympic gold with the Algerian skipping a proposed comeback event at the Eindhoven Box Cup – just days after mandatory sex testing was introduced.
World Boxing’s new policy requires all athletes over the age of 18 to undergo a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) genetic test to determine their sex at birth and their eligibility to compete.
During the controversy last summer, Khelif’s father produced an alleged birth certificate during the Olympics which recorded the boxer as female.
Amid calls for Khelif to be stripped of the Olympic title, International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry confirmed in June that there would be no retrospective action on the result.
Coventry’s declaration came after the newly elected IOC president had announced the formation of a working group tasked with safeguarding women’s sport.
‘There was overwhelming support that we should protect the female category,’ Coventry said.
‘We understand that there will be differences depending on the sports. But it was fully agreed that, as the IOC, we should place emphasis on protection of the female category.’
Khelif had earlier this year revealed plans to compete at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, with the Algerian looking to move up a weight category for the Games.
