Imane Khelif made the headlines for her opponent, Angela Carini, withdrawing from their boxing match 46 seconds in. The Italian said she couldn’t stand the pain of the first few punches, which caused her to quit, a rarity at the Olympics.
Since then, Khelif has been in the middle of a controversy surrounding gender in sports. The Algerian allegedly failed a gender test ahead of the 2023 world championship, which has caused her presence in Paris to be debated.
Imane Khelif in the middle of gender debate in sports
Imane Khalif, submergée par l'émotion, à l'issue de son combat victorieux aujourd'hui, après une semaine de cyberharcèlement intense #JO2024 #Algeria🇩🇿❤️ pic.twitter.com/rjgZ8lwA1s
— B (@usualsuspect696) August 3, 2024
The IOC recognises one’s gender based on the entry in their passport. And in the case of Khelif, her gender at birth as well as the entry on her passport classifies her as a woman.
Khelif was disqualified ahead of her gold medal match in the IBA World Championship, with tests claiming elevated levels of testosterone. The IOC is at odds with the IBA, and has not recognised their decision about the matter.
The Algerian has now won against Hungary’s first woman boxer, Luca Hamori, after a dominant display that saw her declared the winner unanimously. As a result, she has guaranteed herself a medal at the Olympics.
