Boxing chiefs DENY they have stripped gender row boxer Imane Khelif, 25, of her Paris Olympic gold medal

The World Boxing Organisation (WBO) has denied that Olympic champion Imane Khelif was stripped of her gold medal for failing gender eligibility tests, calling the reports ‘obviously fake and ill-intentioned’.

The 25-year-old Algerian caused controversy at this year’s Paris Olympics after it was revealed she was previously banned from the World Championships for allegedly failing a gender test.

Khelif, 25, who won gold in the Women’s Welterweight this summer, is taking legal action over the alleged online harassment she received due to the gender row.

Now the controversy has seemingly been restarted following a report from an online sports blog claiming that Khelif had been given a lifetime ban from boxing by the WBO and stripped of her medal.

However, because Kehlif is an amateur boxer, the WBO would have no jurisdiction and the boxing authority has since denied all of the false claims.

Khelif, 25, who won gold in the Women’s Welterweight this summer, is taking legal action over the alleged online harassment she received

Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng and Algeria’s Imane Khelif (Blue) compete in the women’s 66kg semi-final boxing match at this year’s Olympics

In a statement, the WBO said: ‘The World Boxing Organisation has informed that it had not tested, nor has it banned female boxer Imane Khelif, who won a gold medal during the boxing tournament of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France.

‘The report claiming that the WBO had banned Khelif are obviously false.

‘We have had no communication with Khelif. We congratulate her and wish her luck in all her future endeavours.’

WBO legal counsel Gustavo Olivieri added: ‘Any report stating otherwise is obviously fake and ill-intentioned.

‘She worked hard to earn that medal.’

The World Championships were run by the Russian-led International Boxing Association (IBA).

But it was later stripped of world governing body status by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over integrity and governance issues.

The IOC also questioned the credibility and legitimacy of the IBA’s gender tests, saying they cannot be relied upon.

Imane Khelif of Team Algeria poses for a photo after winning the gold medal at this year’s Paris games

‘JK Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit, among others,’ Khelif’s lawyer wrote on X

Nabil Boudi told Variety that the Tesla mogul (pictured) and Harry Potter author were both named in the criminal complaint

Speaking after her Olympic victory, Khelif said she had been a victim of ‘bullying’ and the IBA ‘hate me and I really don’t know why’.

She added: ‘I was born a woman. I have lived as a woman. I competed as a woman – there is no doubt about that.’

Elon Musk and JK Rowling were named in a lawsuit filed to French authorities over the alleged ‘acts of aggravated cyber harassment’ after they led an outcry at Khelif’s participation in the Paris Olympics.

Nabil Boudi, the gold medalist’s Paris-based attorney, told Variety that the Tesla mogul and Harry Potter author were both named in the criminal complaint.

‘JK Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit, among others,’ Boudi wrote on X, noting that Donald Trump would also be part of the investigation.

Possible repercussions for cyber-bullying offences in France are prison sentences ranging from two to five years and fines ranging from £26,000 to £39,000.

If prosecuted as online hate speech, perpetrators could even be fined £64,000 to £214,000.