Imane Khelif hits back at Donald Trump and targets Olympic title defence

Khelif said the US president's transgender policies do not concern her. 

25-year-old Imane Khelif won boxing gold in the women's 66kg category at the Paris Olympics. Pic: AP Photo/John Locher

Imane Khelif is refusing to be intimidated by United States president Donald Trump as she looks forward to defending her Olympic title in Los Angeles.

The 25-year-old Algerian boxer, who won gold amid controversy at the Paris Olympics last year, has signalled her intention to repeat the feat in 2028 after President Trump wrongly claimed she had transitioned from a man.

Speaking to ITV News in an interview to be broadcast on Wednesday evening, Khelif said: "I will give you a straightforward answer: the US President issued a decision related to transgender policies in America. I am not transgender. This does not concern me, and it does not intimidate me. That is my response."

That came after Khelif interrupted a question about her dream of repeating her triumph, saying: "Second gold medal, of course. In America, Los Angeles."

Khelif's triumph in Paris, along with that of Chinese Taipei's Lin Yu Ting, sparked a gender eligibility debate to which high-profile figures such as President Trump, Elon Musk and JK Rowling contributed.

She revealed she was "deeply affected mentally" by the "major media campaign" surrounding her, and said her mother was attending hospital almost daily as her family shared the brunt of the attacks.

The furore followed an International Olympic Committee decision to dismiss the blood tests which had prompted the now discredited International Boxing Association to disqualify Khelif from the World Championships in 2023.

She said: "As we say in Algeria, those who have nothing to hide should have no fear. The truth became clear at the Paris Olympics - the injustice was exposed and later, the truth was acknowledged by the Olympic Committee in Paris."

She added: "For me, I see myself as a girl, just like any other girl. I was born a girl, raised as a girl, and have lived my entire life as one.

"I have competed in many tournaments, including the Tokyo Olympics and other major competitions, as well as four World Championships. All of these took place before I started winning and earning titles. But once I began achieving success, the campaigns against me started."