Imane Khelif won gold in the women’s 66kg boxing event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This was a historic win for Algeria, but it also led to a lot of global scrutiny and harassment over false claims of gender. After a quick win over Italy’s Angela Carini, she was the target of online abuse and transphobic accusations, even though she is a cisgender woman who has competed in women’s categories for years. The International Boxing Association (IBA) disqualified her in 2023 without following the rules, which the IOC said was unfair.
Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has used Khelif’s win to back his executive order “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” and state bans on transgender athletes. He has even called her male during speeches. Khelif told CNN that she wants politicians to “leave me out of it” and made it clear that she is not transgender. I am a woman, so don’t use me for your political goals. She says that the recent World Boxing statements that named her were made because of pressure from far-right politicians. They later apologized for the statements.
Khelif hasn’t competed since the Olympics. He skipped the World Championships because of the chaos, but he has his sights set on the 2028 LA Olympics. She is willing to have genetic testing done by the IOC to prove her eligibility and get back in the ring, putting safety and fairness first. Her position makes a strong case for fair treatment in sports.
