Algerian Olympic champion boxer, Imane Khelif, has broken her silence regarding the intense scrutiny and misinformation she faced during the Paris Games. In her first interview since winning the gold medal in the women’s 66-kilogram category, Khelif opened up about the emotional turmoil caused by unfounded claims questioning her gender.
The controversy began after Khelif’s Italian opponent, Angela Carini, withdrew just seconds into their match, sparking rumors and false allegations that Khelif was transgender or even a man. Despite the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) defense of her and their condemnation of those spreading misinformation, the issue quickly escalated, with high-profile figures like Donald Trump, J.K. Rowling, and Elon Musk making critical remarks online.
“It affected me a lot, it hurt me a lot. I can’t describe to you the amount of fear I had,” Khelif shared during her interview with Algerian news channel El Bilad. “The scenario was very scary. Thank God, all the people of Algeria and the Arab world knew Imane Khelif with her femininity, her courage, her will.”
Khelif expressed her dismay at the intersection of politics and sports, stating, “Honestly, I don’t like mixing politics with sports, but they’ve brought it into sports. They don’t have the right to say that I’m transgender. This is a big insult to my family, to the honor of my family, to the honor of Algeria, to the women of Algeria and especially for the Arab world. The whole world knows that I’m a Muslim girl.”
The public comments from global figures, including Trump, Rowling, and Musk, were particularly hurtful to Khelif, who emphasized that these accusations attacked not just her identity but also her cultural and religious values.
In response to the harassment, Khelif’s lawyer, Nabil Boudi, filed a legal complaint with the Paris prosecutor’s office, which has opened an investigation into the online hate campaign targeting Khelif. The charges under consideration include “cyber harassment based on gender, public insults based on gender, public incitement to discrimination, and public insults on the basis of origin.”
While Khelif has shown remarkable resilience in the face of this adversity, she remains firm in her demand for justice and respect. “If someone apologizes to me, I will accept their apology,” she said. “But to those who don’t apologize, I send a message: I am a female, and I will remain a female, and my honor comes before everything.”