"The boxer Imane Khelif has decided to begin a new fight, a fight for justice, dignity and honour," said her lawyer, Nabil Boudi. He confirmed that Khelif had lodged a complaint for "aggravated online harassment... to Paris prosecutors."

Boudi added, "The investigation will determine who was behind this misogynist, racist and sexist campaign, but will also have to concern itself with those who fed the online lynching." He described the "iniquitous harassment" Khelif faced as "the biggest stain on these Olympic Games."

On Friday, Khelif won the women’s 66kg final against China's Yang Liu by unanimous decision. Her victory came amid intense scrutiny over her gender eligibility, which had been a significant controversy in Paris.

Khelif, alongside Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, who won the 57kg women's final on Saturday, was disqualified from last year's world championships after failing gender eligibility tests. However, both were cleared to compete in Paris, fuelling one of the Games' biggest controversies.

When asked if she would pursue legal action like Khelif, Lin said, "This is something I will discuss with my team. We will decide later what the next step will be." After her victory, Khelif stated that her gold medal was the best reply to her critics. "I am fully qualified to take part, I am a woman like any other. I was born a woman, lived a woman and competed as a woman," she asserted.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is overseeing boxing at Paris due to concerns about the International Boxing Association's (IBA) management of the sport. IBA President Umar Kremlev claimed this week that Khelif and Lin had undergone "genetic testing that shows that these are men." Although the IBA conducted the world championships in 2023 where Lin and Khelif were disqualified, the IOC permitted them to compete in Paris.

IOC President Thomas Bach, who will step down next year, announced that the organisation would decide in the first half of next year whether boxing will be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Games. He has stressed the need for boxing’s national federations to secure a new and "reliable" international partner to ensure the sport's future in the Olympic program.

Regarding the ongoing gender issue, Bach stated, "We have said from the very beginning, if someone is presenting us a scientifically solid system how to identify men and women, we are the first ones to do it. We do not like this uncertainty. We do not like it for the overall situation so we would be more than pleased to look into it."

"But what is not possible," he continued, "is that someone is saying this is not a woman just by looking at somebody or by falling prey to a defamation campaign by a not credible organisation with highly political interest."