Paris 2024 Olympics - Boxing - Women's 66kg - Prelims - Round of 16 - North Paris Arena, Villepinte, France - August 01, 2024. Imane Khelif of Algeria is seen after her fight against Angela Carini of Italy. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes
Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer, has found herself at the center of a controversy regarding gender roles in sports following the withdrawal of Angela Carini, an Italian opponent, from their match at the Olympics in Paris.
Conservatives like former US President Donald Trump and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni have voiced their outrage. After passing vague and opaque eligibility requirements for women’s competition from the now-banned International Boxing Association, Khelif was barred from the 2023 world championships.
Due to the conflict between boxing’s governing organization and the International Olympic Committee, Khelif was assigned female at birth, as stated on her passport. This is the IOC’s qualification requirement for boxing.
Khelif is a strong fighter who has competed in important international competitions. Over the past six years, he has participated in significant amateur boxing events including the Tokyo Olympics. She has several gold medals from the region.
But until this week in Paris, Khelif was unquestionably not seen as a dominant champion, an overwhelming force, or even a particularly hard puncher at her weight.
Thursday’s 46-second victory over Carini was the result of the Italian boxer’s emotional withdrawal from the bout, which gave rise to many depictions of Khelif as an unstoppable hitting machine who endangers the health of her opponents.
For those who watch or engage in Olympic-style boxing, the reality is very different. What you need know about Khelif and the dispute is as follows:
