Imane Khelif has decided to file an official complaint following her triumph at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The Algerian boxer has been at the centre of controversy at the Olympics this summer, following her 46-second win in the second round of the women’s welterweight boxing against Italian boxer Angela Carini.
Criticism towards Khelif came after it had emerged she had failed a gender test at the World Championships in 2023, which was held under the International Boxing Association (IBA).
Carini said after the fight that the flurry of punches that she took from Khelif ‘hurt too much’, and that she had to prioritise her health and step out of the ring on the biggest stage.
The Algerian boxer is set to take legal action after her gold medal win. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Following the match, there was a lot of fallout online about whether Khelif was a biological woman or not, which prompted statements from the Algerian team and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that defended the athlete’s inclusion in the games.
Khelif has never identified as anything other than a woman, having been born as one.
She also called for a stop to the online bullying she was receiving, urging people to follow the ‘Olympic principles’ as she continued to compete in the event.
The Algerian didn’t lose a round en-route to the gold medal match, before comfortably winning by unanimous decision against China’s Yang Liu, to win her country’s first medal in the sport.
But following her triumph, Khelif has decided to launch a legal battle against online harassment, which was confirmed by her lawyer Nabil Boudi on Saturday (10 August).
The press release read: “The boxer Imane Khelif has decided to begin a new fight, a fight for justice, dignity and honour”.
He also added that Khelif has lodged a formal complaint with Paris prosecutors, citing ‘aggravated online harassment’.”
Imane Khelif won her country’s first Olympic medal in women’s boxing. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Boudi further explained the lawsuit, saying: “The investigation will determine who was behind this misogynist, racist and sexist campaign, but will also have to concern itself with those who fed the online lynching.”
From the first fight itself, Carini hadn’t acknowledged Khelif in the ring, though she later said she would ’embrace’ her opponent if given the chance now, apologising’ for all of the attention she was getting.
But following her win over Carini, Khelif spoke about exactly how she felt in an interview with SNTV, spoken in Arabic.
She stated: “I send a message to all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes, because this has effects, massive effects.”
Khelif continued: “It can destroy people, it can kill people’s thoughts, spirit and mind. It can divide people. And because of that, I ask them to refrain from bullying.”
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