At the Paris Olympics, Imane Khelif was at the center of a controversy, receiving criticism from well-known people around the world, including J.K. Rowling, Elon Musk, and Donald Trump.
She isn’t going to back down, though, in spite of the backlash. Now that she is determined to defend her title at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, she has a daring message for President Trump.
How the dispute started
The 25-year-old Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has been at the heart of a contentious debate, with some demanding that she be prohibited from competing in women’s boxing.
After she was excluded from the 2023 World Championships due to contested allegations that she failed gender eligibility tests, the reaction grew more intense.
According to tests carried out by the contentious International Boxing Association (IBA), Imane Khelif possesses male XY chromosomes.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) let her to compete in spite of this, which infuriated the IBA, which has since sued the Olympic governing body.
The women’s 66kg quarterfinal match at the Paris Olympics caused a stir. Just 46 seconds into the round, Italian boxer Angela Carini was driven out of the ring by a forceful blow from Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. Citing “severe pain” from the strike, Carini pulled out.
People who were wondering whether Khelif was “biologically female” began to doubt it after the incident, believing it was unjust that Italy’s Carini had to compete against someone who wasn’t “female.”
Having to deal with legal action
Khelif went on to win gold in the welterweight division at the Olympics in Paris in spite of the controversy. However, it is now unclear if she will have the opportunity to defend her gold in Los Angeles in 2028.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is currently being sued for permitting her to participate.
By signing an executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” President Donald Trump has rekindled the controversy. By calling Khelif a “male boxer” who had “transitioned” and “stole the women’s gold medal after brutalizing his female opponent,” he directly targeted her.
Khelif, however, is not giving up. The Algerian combatant has retaliated against Trump, demonstrating her refusal to be coerced.
Returns the blow Donald Trump
She denied any link between herself and recent transgender policies in the United States in an interview with ITV, saying:
Regarding transgender policies in the US, the president of the US made a decision. I’m not a trans person. I am not intimidated by this, nor am I concerned about it.
Khelif saw her victory in Paris as the ultimate answer to those who attempted to undermine her, despite the raging controversy.
“This campaign against me has taught me a lot, and the events at the Olympics in Paris were enlightening,” she said.
She maintains that the encounter only strengthened her:
“I feel even stronger now than I did before. If the old Imane Khelif was functioning at half her potential, then the current Imane is even more driven and focused.”
She claims that winning Olympic gold made a strong message in addition to being an athletic accomplishment.
The gold medal at the Olympics in Paris, in my opinion, was the best medal of the whole competition. It was a triumph that was significant from an ethical, athletic, and even sportsmanship standpoint.
