Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who was in the news due to the gender controversy surrounding her at the Paris Games, became an Olympic champion.
Heavyweight boxer Imane Khelif won her first Olympic gold medal, bringing Algeria its seventh premiership trophy in the last 60 years. But this story has taken a backseat to ethical debates and a barrage of misinformation.
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How Did the Imane Khelif Controversy Start
Khelif defeated Italian boxer Angela Carini in the first round match to advance to the quarter-finals of women’s heavyweight boxing at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Khelif was under intense scrutiny in the previous rounds after his opponent withdrew from the game after 46 seconds and said that “this was to protect his health because the Algerian player’s punches were very strong”, and it became one of the most talked about topics of the 2024 Paris Olympics for a long time.
Conversations range from malicious or misinformed claims that Khelif is male to nuanced discussions of how genetics impact athletics.
Khelif said the “best response” to his critics would be to win a gold medal. Some argued that he should not be allowed to compete due to concerns that he might have testosterone advantages that could provide extra strength and muscle.
Khelif and a Taiwanese boxer were banned from the world championships last year for failing International Boxing Association (IBA) gender conformity tests.
But the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said the decision was “sudden and arbitrary” and that the tests were grossly flawed.
Paris isn’t Khelif’s first Olympics; he also competed in Tokyo three years ago.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams said earlier at the Paris tournament that all boxers met eligibility criteria such as gender and age “according to their passports”.
He said Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting have been competing in the women’s competition for many years. In different news, it was also said that Khelif had Swyer Syndrome.
Who is Imane Khelif?
Imane Khelif is 25 years old. He grew up playing football in his village in Tiaret, western Algeria. He stopped playing sports in his youth and turned to boxing, despite his father’s wishes.
Khelif had to sell scrap, metal and his mother’s couscous to raise enough money to catch the bus to the nearest gym.
However, she soon attracted the attention of the Algerian boxing federation and participated in the 2018 Women’s World Championship, finishing 17th after being eliminated in the first round. She was one of the first three Olympic female boxers Algeria sent to the 2020 Tokyo Games.
