Algerian women’s boxing star Imane Khelif won the 2024 Paris Olympics gold in Thursday’s 66kg (welterweight) final, concluding a stellar run marred by unnecessary controversy about her gender.
While Khelif was born a woman and identifies as her biological gender, she has faced unfounded accusations after questionable claims of unspecified gender testing were made by the International Boxing Association. Amid all the misinformation, the IOC stood by her.
Khelif discussed the baseless allegations after winning the gold, clearly stating that she is indeed a woman and is more than worthy of competing with people of her shared gender.
“As for whether I qualify or not, or whether I am a woman or not, I am fully qualified to take part in this competition,” Khelif said, via Yahoo Sports. “I am a woman like any other woman. I was born a woman. I’ve lived as a woman. I’ve competed as a woman. There is no doubt about that.”
After winning her Olympic boxing gold medal, Algeria’s Imane Khelif addressed the controversy over her gender that had enveloped her during the Paris Games. pic.twitter.com/nJxsk1bXib
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 10, 2024
It’s deeply unfortunate that Khelif was ensnared in such a tacky controversy while she was competing at the Olympics, but it’s heartening that she was able to power through it all to still win the gold medal.
