The Controversial Journey of Olympic Boxer Imane Khelif

Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer, clinched her first victory at the 2024 Paris Olympics when her opponent, Angela Carini of Italy, forfeited the match after receiving multiple blows to the face in the initial moments of the fight. This win only intensified the unfounded controversy surrounding Khelif, who has faced criticism for being misgendered throughout the Olympics.

The Olympic Controversy Both Khelif and Lin were allowed to participate in Olympic boxing events.

Everything appeared to be going well until the 2023 World Cup, organized by the International Boxing Association (IBA), which is not recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IBA, led by Russia, disqualified Khelif following a gender eligibility test that allegedly revealed she has XY chromosomes. IBA president Umar Kremlev accused Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting of attempting to deceive their peers by pretending to be women. Khelif has disputed these allegations

Hailing from Tiaret, Algeria, in 1999, Khelif began her boxing career at a young age, consistently competing in womens divisions. She has participated in various international competitions, including the Womens World Boxing Championships in 2018 (where she finished in 17th place) and the Womens World Boxing Championships in Russia the year after. Her journey continued at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, where she advanced to the quarterfinals, and she secured the second position at the 2022 Womens World Championships in Istanbul.

The process of admission, overseen by the Boxing Unit, ensures that all athletes in the Olympic boxing tournament meet the eligibility and registration criteria, as well as adhere to all medical standards, including the provision of medical certificates that are at least three months old and verified. "These boxers are fully eligible. They are women as indicated on their passports, they have competed in the Tokyo Olympics, and have a long history of participation, I believe we all have a duty to calm things down and not turn this into a witch hunt," stated IOC spokesperson Mark Adams during a news conference on Tuesday. However, influential figures on social media have criticized Khelif participation in the Olympics. Elon Musk amplified a tweet from swimmer Riley Gaines, stating, Men do not belong in womens sports, while author J.K. Rowling inaccurately referred to Khelif as a male whos aware he is shielded by a misogynist sporting establishment thats taking pleasure in the pain of a woman he is just punched in the head. The reality is that Khelif is competing in the Olympics because she meets the rules and has passed the IOCs standards. The current hostility towards these two athletes is solely based on this arbitrary decision, said the Boxing Unit and IOC in a statement on Thursday, referring to the ban by the IBA.