- Imane Khelif, a female Algerian boxer, won her first fight at the Paris Olympics, despite facing scrutiny over her gender identity after reports resurfaced about her failing gender eligibility tests due to male chromosomes.
- The victory sparked significant controversy, with several prominent figures, including J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk, criticizing Khelif’s participation. In contrast, others, like Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, expressed concerns over fairness in women’s sports.
- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) condemned the backlash against Khelif. It criticized the decision to disqualify her from previous competitions, highlighting issues with governance and procedure in the International Boxing Association.
A female boxer whose gender identity has been recently scrutinized claimed victory in her first match at the Paris Olympics on Thursday.
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif secured a win against Italy’s Angela Carini after Carini withdrew from the fight just 46 seconds in. Carini stopped the about following a brief exchange of punches, did not shake Khelif’s hand, and then fell to the floor in tears.
Khelif’s involvement in Olympic women’s boxing has faced criticism after recent reports resurfaced regarding her and another boxer, Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan, failing to meet gender eligibility tests at last year’s Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi. At that time, sporting authorities claimed that the athletes did not pass an unspecified test due to the presence of male chromosomes.
Khelif, aged 25, has consistently competed as a woman, including during the Tokyo Olympics. There is no evidence suggesting she identifies as transgender or intersex, the latter being a condition where individuals are born with sex characteristics that don’t conform strictly to the male-female gender binary.
Carini explained that she ended Thursday’s fight due to “severe pain” in her nose. She stated she isn’t qualified to determine whether Khelif should be allowed to compete.
“I am not here to judge or pass judgment,” Carini told reporters after the match. “Whether it’s right or wrong for an athlete to compete in this way is not for me to decide.”
Others were less hesitant in their opinions.
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“We must be cautious that, in trying not to discriminate, we might be discriminating against women,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni commented during a visit to the Olympic Village. “In these matters, what matters is your dedication, your mindset, and your character, but having an equal playing field is also important.”
Several American politicians, including former President Donald Trump, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, also voiced their opinions on the fight.
“I WILL KEEP MEN OUT OF WOMEN’S SPORTS!” Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Khelif’s victory also elicited reactions from several prominent figures known for their controversial statements on transgender issues.
J.K. Rowling, the author of “Harry Potter,” repeatedly referred to Khelif as “male” and described the match as a “brutal injustice” in a series of posts on X.
Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur, and owner of X, who has been criticized for comments about his estranged trans daughter, also weighed in. In response to a post that included a video of the fight with the caption “Kamala supports this…vote accordingly,” Musk, who endorsed Trump last month, replied: “True or let her deny it.”
While the majority of online reactions appeared critical, Khelif received support from some quarters. Ismaël Bennacer, a soccer player for the Algerian national team, defended Khelif.
“Full support for our champion Imane Khelif, who is facing a wave of unjustified hatred,” he wrote on X. “Her presence at the Olympic Games is purely a result of her talent and hard work.”
Khelif celebrated her win on social media, posting a photo of herself from the fight on Instagram with the caption “first Victory.” She did not address the criticisms in her post but has previously described her disqualification from the world championships last year as a “conspiracy.”
In a statement on Thursday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) condemned the backlash against Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin during the Olympics, as well as the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) decision to disqualify them from last year’s Women’s World Boxing Championships.
“The current aggression against these two athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision, which was taken without any proper procedure — especially considering that these athletes had been competing in top-level competition for many years,” the statement read. “Such an approach contradicts good governance.”
The IOC’s statement noted that it withdrew recognition of the IBA last year due to governance, financial transparency issues, and perceived instances of corruption.
For the Paris 2024 Games, the IOC refers to the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit, an ad-hoc unit it developed, for eligibility standards. Thursday’s statement clarified, “As with previous Olympic boxing competitions, the gender and age of the athletes are based on their passport.”
The Algerian Olympic and Sports Committee did not respond to requests for comment regarding the criticism surrounding Khelif’s win.
Algeria’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Abderrahmane Hammad, addressed the controversy over Khelif’s gender identity on Wednesday.
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“I strongly condemn the baseless attacks on our athlete, Imane Khelif, by certain foreign outlets,” he wrote on X. “These cowardly attempts to tarnish her reputation are utterly unacceptable.”
In social media posts on Thursday, the Algerian Olympic and Sports Committee celebrated Khelif’s victory.
“We are proud of you and look forward to seeing you shine even more in the next stages,” stated one translated Facebook post.
Khelif’s next match is against Hungary’s Luca Anna Hamori in the women’s 66-kilogram quarterfinals on Saturday.
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