When she steps outside the ring from training, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif is taking painful punches from critics about her biological sex, despite her insisting that she’s “fully qualified” to compete in women’s sports.
At the Paris Olympics, controversy erupted during the women’s 66kg quarterfinal match when Algerian boxer Imane Khelif landed a powerful punch that forced Italy’s Angela Carini out of the ring – just 46 seconds into the fight.
According to reports, just as Khelif was claiming the win, a teary-eyed Carini was heard saying “it’s not right.”
After the fight, the Italian welterweight told reporters that she had “never felt a punch like this” and that she quit because “one punch hurt too much.” She also told the BBC that she had to abandon the fight as she “felt a strong pain to my nose” and “had to preserve my life.”
The dramatic moment only intensified the backlash, as critics claimed it was “unfair” for the Carini to face a competitor that some insisted was “not biologically female.”
‘This is disgusting’
Social media exploded with opinions, misinformation, and heated debate – many demanding clarity and consistency in how gender eligibility is handled in women’s sports.
“I WILL KEEP MEN OUT OF WOMEN’S SPORTS!” Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social before Khelif went on to claim gold in the welterweight division at the Paris Olympics.
JD Vance also offered his thoughts: “…a grown man pummeling a woman in a boxing match. This is disgusting, and all of our leaders should condemn it,” he tweeted alongside a clip that shows Khelif’s brutal blow against Carini.
Refusing to let the unfounded accusations destroy her excitement over the win, the champ – the first Algerian woman to win gold in boxing – said “the best response after all the bullying” was “by winning the gold medal.”
Target of bullying
Recently speaking with ITV, the now 26-year-old athlete explained that she was shocked by the backlash that she describes as “bullying.”
“When I saw that even heads of state, famous figures, and former athletes were speaking about me without having verified facts, it shocked me,” Khelif said.
“They were speaking just for the sake of talking, without any reliable or documented information. I also noticed on social media that people were discussing the issue without any trustworthy sources. That was what affected me the most in the beginning – why was I, Imane Khelif, the target of such a campaign?’’
‘Harms human dignity’
Now, as she prepares for the Los Angeles games in 2028, the boxer said she hopes that people will be more considerate and realize that the scrutiny she faced about her gender “harms human dignity.”
“It affected me mentally, as well as my family. Even my mother was deeply affected – she was going to the hospital almost every day. My relatives were also impacted, and the entire Algerian people felt the weight of the situation. This went beyond just a sporting issue or a game; it escalated into a major media campaign that could have had a severe negative effect on me, my family, and my psychological well-being,” she said.
Calling for an end to bullying athletes after she was impacted by the international backlash against her, Khelif added, ‘‘I was deeply affected mentally and felt discouraged, but I remained aware of what was happening. Even during the Paris Olympics, I had a team of specialist doctors who provided me with support and assistance. Without their support, I might have fallen into a spiral of depression.”
‘I am not transgender’
Referring to the summer Olympics on President Donald Trump’s turf, the woman said, “The U.S. President issued a decision related to transgender policies in America. I am not transgender. This does not concern me, and it does not intimidate me.”
The Guardian reports the boxer insists that as a biological female, she is “fully qualified” to compete in women’s sports.
“I’m a woman like any other woman. I was born a woman, I lived a woman, I competed as a woman, there’s no doubt about that. [The detractors] are enemies of success, that is what I call them. And that also gives my success a special taste because of these attacks.”
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