Algerian boxer Imane Khelif will leave the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris with a medal.
On Saturday, Khelif defeated Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary by a score of 5-0 in the quarterfinals of the women’s 66kg tournament. Her victory comes on the heels of widespread scrutiny and some seriously disturbing online abuse after rumors circulated that Khelif is a biological male.
Notable names, including women’s boxing ‘GWOAT’ Claressa Shields and WWE Superstar Logan Paul, spoke out on the situation and slammed the Olympics for allowing “a man” to compete among a field of women. Unfortunately, neither of them did their research. Had they taken 30 seconds to do a simple Google search, they would have found that the 25-year-old boxer identifies as a female and has since birth.
Imane Khelif wins again!!!! LET'S GO!!! pic.twitter.com/oiCaOzgzYL
— Alejandra Caraballo (@Esqueer_) August 3, 2024
Since then, Shields has issued an apology to Khelif while Paul opted to simply delete his post after he reportedly received a phone call from the WWE PR department.
Khelif will, at the very least, take home a bronze medal after defeating Hamori for the second win of her tumultuous trip to the Olympics.
Following the loss, Hamori had nothing, but kind words for Khelif
“I cannot say a single bad word about my opponent,” Hamori, who hugged Khelif after the final bell, told reporters.
“The last few days have been difficult for everyone. I have respect for her, I don’t have a bad thought for her, this situation is not her fault. We both put up a fight, that’s the way it is now, it could be different in the future. The situation has not ruined my Olympics at all.”
Imane Khelif bursts into tears after her victory, advancing to semifinals even after millions of people say cruel, hateful things about her online. Her strength and resilience is unbelievable.
— Women Posting W's (@womenpostingws) August 3, 2024
The IOC Defends Its Decision to Allow Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting to Compete Despite Online Scrutiny
Khelif came under fire hours ahead of her first match at the 2024 games after a report revealed that she and another fighter, Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, were disqualified from competing at the 2023 World Championships by the International Boxing Commission for allegedly failing an unspecified gender test.
Before their ban, both Khelif and Yu-ting competed at IBA-sanctioned events for years without issue.
The International Olympic Committee parted ways with the Russian-dominated IBA ahead of this year’s Summer Games citing concerns over judging scandals, leadership decisions, and financial issues.
No longer recognizing the IBA as the governing body of the Olympics, the IOC cleared both women to compete as they were determined to be biological females—a fact that has since been corroborated by government officials, not to mention the fact that in Khelif’s home country of Algeria, being gay or transgender is illegal.
“Let’s be very clear here: We are talking about women’s boxing,” IOC President Thomas Bach said Saturday. “We have two boxers who are born as a woman, who have been raised a woman, who have a passport as a woman, and who have competed for many years as women. And this is the clear definition of a woman. There was never any doubt about them being a woman.”
Amid the online scrutiny, both Khelif and Lin have been showered with cheers from the crowds at North Paris Arena.
