The Algerian Olympic Committee (AOC) has criticized the "continued and unfounded attacks" against Imane Helif after an unverified leaked medical report allegedly proved that the gold medalist from the Paris Olympics does not actually have a uterus, but male genitalia - internal testicles. "These attacks, often based on unsubstantiated accusations, aim to damage the prestige of an athlete who glorified our country on the international stage," AOK told DV. "We categorically condemn these attempts at destabilization, which have no place in the world of sports."
New claims from Hellif to distributors
At the same time, Jacques Young, an endocrinologist from the Paris hospital "Bicetre", who is said to be the author of the medical report, hinted to DV that his name is being used to spread misinformation and transphobic messages. The hospital said it could not confirm or deny the authenticity of the report because it "does not provide any information related to medical confidentiality, nor whether or not any particular patient was consulted by a doctor.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) declined to comment on the "unconfirmed documents, the source of which cannot be confirmed", but said Heliffe was "preparing legal action in response to recent developments".
The report is said to have been prepared in June 2023 in collaboration between the hospital "Bicetre" in Paris and the Algerian hospital "Mohamed Lamine Debagin" in Algiers, Algeria. It was shared by media around the world and became particularly popular on social media. "These allegations, which have been going on for several months, are completely unfounded and contradict the principles of the Olympic Movement," said the Algerian Olympic Committee.
The criticism doesn't stop
Khelif, who won a gold medal in the women's 66kg boxing category, was placed at the center of the scandal during the Olympics. It began after the International Boxing Association (IBA) accused her of twice failing unspecified gender tests during its 2022 and 2023 world championships.
These tests are said to have shown that Heliffe has XY (male) chromosomes, although the IBA has failed to provide any substantial evidence to support its claims. The IOC, which ran the boxing competition in Paris due to the suspension of the International Boxing Association from the Olympics, said at the time that the tests were "illegitimate".
Transphobic narratives
The hysteria surrounding Heliffe continued long after the Olympics ended. The Algerian became the target of online harassment, and the World Boxing Association had to come out with an official announcement that it did not ban the 25-year-old athlete from participating in a competition and did not take away her gold medal. In fact, the association cannot do anything like that.
The latest claims started in France on October 25 this year, but suddenly became extremely popular on social media in early November, when the alleged medical report was published by Reduxx, an online magazine that describes itself as "pro-women" and "against nonsense".
The report is said to have been leaked, and its authors are Jacques Young and Algerian endocrinologist Soumaya Fedala. The first post to cite him was on a small French website, which claimed that Heliffe underwent an MRI and genetic testing that allegedly revealed Heliffe had XY chromosomes and impaired sexual development. Women with this syndrome are often mistakenly considered transgender.
A screenshot of the medical document, which was omitted from the French publication, shows that the two doctors believe Heliffe is a biological female. "In view of the clinical history, the female gender is preferred," the report says. When we asked Young about whether his name is being used to legitimize false information and send transphobic messages, he told DV: "I think your statement perfectly reflects reality.