Much of the discussion around the Summer Olympics in Paris over the past few days has been consumed by women’s boxing.
Specifically, they’re talking about Imane Khelif and the baseless rumors concerning her gender. And some of those people said some really dangerous and gross things about the accomplished woman from Algeria.
It all started on Thursday when Khelif’s opponent, Italy’s Angela Carini, quit after 46 seconds into the bout after getting hit in the nose. A flurry of misinformation flooded the internet and talking-head TV shows. A lot of folks fired off absurd takes without using any sort of research or critical thinking.
In short, Khelif’s detractors pointed to a “gender verification” test (which we have no real details about) administered by the Russian-led IBA – an organization that even the IOC has deemed too corrupt – which disqualified Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting from the women’s world championships in 2023.
It should be said, loudly and clearly, that Khelif is a woman. She is not transgender. She is not a man. She is competing in this sport fairly.
And she’s good at boxing too, evidenced by her quarterfinals victory Saturday against Hungary’s Luca Anna Hamori.
With the 5:0 win over Hamori in the 66-kilogram (146 pounds) bout, Khelif has clinched a medal at the Olympics because two bronzes are awarded in boxing. It will be the first boxing medal for Algeria since 2000.
As she walked out of the ring, she became emotional.
Seeing Imane Khelif bursting into tears after winning after a global smear campaign against her breaks my heart💔
pic.twitter.com/yXT45FZ0sy— kira 👾 (@kirawontmiss) August 3, 2024
Khelif’s coach Mohamed Chaoua told Reuters:
“It is hard, she has suffered a lot – as a child and now as a champion, she has suffered so much during these Games… Where is the humanity? Where are the associations for women’s rights? She is a victim.”
After her victory, Khelif tearfully thanked her supporters:
Imane Khelif's words after her victory:
“I am very proud to bring a medal for my country here in Paris. I worked very hard to be here.
I thank everyone who supported me. This is a victory for all women. »#ImaneKhelif 💪🇩🇿
— Ahmedöv (@a5medv) August 3, 2024
According to USA Today’s Josh Peter, the crowd was fully behind Khelif during the fight:
Throughout the fight, the Algerian fans, appearing to number in the hundreds, alternately cheered, sang and chanted “Imane.” And they erupted in cheers when she was declared the winner.
She will box again on Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 4:34 p.m. ET against Thailand’s Suwannapheng Janjaem.
IOC President Thomas Bach attempted again on Saturday to squash any controversy around Khelif and Yu-ting, telling the Associated Press:
“We have two boxers who are born as a woman, who have been raised a woman, who have a passport as a woman, and who have competed for many years as women. And this is the clear definition of a woman. There was never any doubt about them being a woman.”
