Olympic boxer Imane Khelif has called for an end to harassment of athletes after becoming a hot topic at the Paris 2024 Olympics following misconceptions about her gender.
The Algerian athlete described the wave of hateful scrutiny she faced while competing in France as “damaging to human dignity” and spoke out about her tumultuous Olympic experience on Sunday night.
“I send a message to all peoples of the world to defend the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes, because this has consequences, massive consequences,” Khelif told SNTV in Arabic.
“It can destroy people, it can kill their thoughts, their spirit and their mind. It can divide people. And that’s why I ask you to refrain from bullying.”
The victories of Khelif and her compatriot Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan have become one of the biggest stories of the Paris Games. Both women have claimed their first Olympic medals, despite being targeted by online attacks based on unfounded claims about their gender, drawing them into a wider divide over changing attitudes to gender identity and regulations in sports.
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif faces questions about her gender ahead of her semi-final fight
The 25-year-old came under scrutiny after her 46-second victory over Italy’s Angela Carini.
Khelif, 25, acknowledged the pressure and pain of enduring this ordeal while competing far from home in the most important event of her athletic career.
“I am in touch with my family two days a week. I hope it hasn’t affected them too much,” he said. “They are worried about me. God willing, this crisis will culminate in a gold medal, and that would be the best answer.”
The vitriol stems from claims by the International Boxing Association, which has been permanently banned from the Olympics, that both Khelif and Lin failed unspecified eligibility tests for women’s competition at last year’s world championships.
Khelif declined to answer when asked if he had undergone any other tests besides doping, saying he did not want to talk about it.
She expressed gratitude to the International Olympic Committee and its president, Thomas Bach, for standing firmly behind her as the now-banned Olympic boxing governing body stoked the furor over her participation in Paris.
“I know that the Olympic Committee has done me justice and I am happy with this remedy because it shows the truth,” she said.
She has also received massive support for her fights, prompting cheers when she enters the stadium and crowds waving Algerian flags and chanting her name. She will fight again on Tuesday in the semi-finals of the women’s 66kg category at Roland Garros.
Khelif failed eligibility tests to compete in women’s boxing at the 2023 world championships
Taiwanese Lin Yu-ting has also faced criticism for her participation in women’s boxing in Paris.
Khelif has repeatedly made it clear that she will not let talk or accusations deter her from trying to secure Algeria’s first Olympic gold medal in women’s boxing.
“I don’t care about anyone’s opinion,” Khelif said a day after beating Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori. “I came here for a medal and to compete for a medal. I will definitely compete to improve and be better, and God willing, I will improve, just like any other athlete.”
Although aware of the global debate about her situation, Khelif said she has felt somewhat distant.
“I don’t really follow social media,” she said. “There is a mental health team that doesn’t let me or other athletes follow social media, especially at the Olympics. I’m here to compete and get a good result.”
Khelif began her Olympic career last Thursday with a win over Italy’s Angela Carini, who quit the bout after just 46 seconds. Carini later said she regretted her decision and wanted to apologize to Khelif.
That unusual ending sparked an uproar around Khelif, prompting comments from people including former U.S. President Donald Trump, “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling and others who falsely claimed Khelif was a man or transgender.
The IOC has repeatedly declared that she and Lin were qualified to compete at the Olympics, and has denounced the murky testing standards and non-transparent governance of the IBA, which was banished entirely from the Olympics last year in an unprecedented punishment for a governing body.
Khelif clearly felt the weight of the world’s scrutiny on her, and her victory over Hamori on Saturday appeared to be cathartic. After the referee raised Khelif’s hand in victory, she went to the center of the ring, waved to her fans, knelt and slammed the palm of her hand on the canvas, her smile turning to tears.
“I couldn’t control my nerves,” Khelif said in the interview. “Because after the media hype and after the victory, there was a mixture of joy and at the same time I was very shaken, because honestly, it wasn’t an easy thing to go through at all. It was something that hurts human dignity.”
She had competed in IBA events for several years without problems until she was abruptly suspended from last year’s world championships. The Russian-dominated body, which has faced years of clashes with the IOC, has refused to provide information about the tests.
The Algerian National Boxing Federation remains a member of the IBA.
Khelif is originally from a rural area in northwestern Algeria and grew up playing soccer until she fell in love with boxing. After overcoming her father’s initial objections, she traveled 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) by bus to train for fights in a nearby village.
Having reached the top level of the sport in her late teens, she struggled early in her career before reaching the elite level. Khelif has been a solid, if unspectacular, international competitor for six years, losing to future gold medallist Kellie Harrington of Ireland at the Tokyo Olympics.
Khelif’s next fight in Paris will be against Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng. If Khelif wins again, he will fight for the gold medal on Friday.
“Yes, this issue affects the dignity and honour of every woman and every female,” he told an Algerian journalist in brief remarks on Sunday after hitting Hamori.
‘The Arab population has known me for years and has seen me box in the IBA who wronged me and treated me unfairly, but I have God on my side.’