"Cheater!" - "Kokó" Slams Olympic Champ Khelif in Live Broadcast

One of the biggest scandals of the Paris Olympics, which ended on Sunday, was the controversy surrounding Imane Helif, the gold medallist in the women's 66kg boxing event. There were suggestions that Khelif, who appeared more male-like, had an unfair advantage due to her genetics. This issue has also been highlighted by Istvan "Kokó" Kovacs, the 1996 Olympic men's boxing champion from Hungary.

Kovács Kokó István szombaton elnyerheti a MÖSZ elnöki székét Fotó: MÖSZ

The Paris Olympics featured two boxers in the women's field who were disqualified from last year's world championships because they failed a sex eligibility test due to higher-than-normal testosterone levels and their male XY chromosomes, although the interpretation of these values is unclear. Imane Khelif, who later won the Olympics, drew attention after her Italian opponent gave up after just 46 seconds. She went on to defeat Hungary's Luca Hamori in the quarter-finals.

Imane Khelif becomes champion at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games (Photo: MTI/AP/John Locher)

The tests produced clear results

Regarding the much-hyped, controversial case of recent weeks, ATV's Heli Naplo program featured Istvan "Kokó" Kovacs, the legendary Hungarian boxer, as a guest on Sunday. Kokó, a gold medallist at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, did not mince his words, calling Khelif an outright cheat. He explained that the Algerian boxer's genetic make-up provides her with such an advantage in the women's field that it severely jeopardizes the concept of fair play and the safety of the sport. Kokó added that Khelif's DNA tests have clearly shown she has XY chromosomes, which are indicative of male genetics.

Khelif was tested in both 2022 and 2023. DNA testing was conducted in 2022, and then, in 2023, the IB repeated the test. Both tests showed that she has XY chromosomes,

 – said Kokó, who served as Secretary General of the International Boxing Federation until the summer of 2022.

More-than-questionable glory

Istvan Kovacs also clarified that, contrary to misconceptions, the tests conducted on Khelif were not influenced by Russian authorities. Independent tests were carried out in Istanbul and New Delhi, ensuring the results are credible and demonstrate that Khelif is not genetically suited to compete in the women’s field.

In this context, how could Khelif have been allowed to compete in Paris? 

According to Kokó, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules do not require genetic testing; instead, athletes must simply present a passport stating their gender. This loophole allowed Khelif to compete in the women’s division, which Kokó criticizes as inadequate. According to him, this situation has led to an Olympic champion whose legitimacy is highly questionable.

We need stricter rules 

Kokó thinks that Khelif may be aware of her own genetic gifts and consciously exploits them in competitions. The former boxer said incidents like this could be extremely damaging to the future of women's boxing. He says parents and young girls will be turned off by the sport if they see themselves competing against competitors who have a genetic advantage. It is vital for women's boxing to maintain the credibility and security of the sport, which requires stricter regulation to exclude such unfair advantages, Kokó emphasized.