On August 1, 2024, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was scheduled to compete against Italian team member Angela Carini in the second round of the Paris 2024 Olympics boxing event. Forty-six seconds after the match began, Carini withdrew and refused to shake hands with her opponent. "I have never felt a punch like this." Khelif became famous in short order, not for her advancement to the next round, but for the people calling her out as ineligible.
A Woman in a Woman's Sport
J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series and self-described Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist, described the woman as someone "enjoying the distress of a woman he's just punched in the head." Elon Musk used his social media company to "absolutely" agree with a swimmer who said that, "men don't belong in women's sports." Former United States of America president Donald J. Trump promised his supporters, "I will keep men out of women's sports!" Social media influencer and wrestler Paul Logan described Khelif's athletic achievements as "the purest form of evil unfolding right before our eyes." but later deleted the comment.
According to Variety, the International Olympic Committee stated that "scientifically, this is not a man fighting a woman." Many cite the International Boxing Association's claims that Khelif did not qualify as a woman during a previous competition; the association is not recognized by the IOC and Khelif has been declared to meet all requirements to compete as a woman, no matter what is said on social media.
Carini showed true sportsmanship in apologizing to Khelif. She said to the Gazzetto dello Sport the following:
"All this controversy certainly made me sad, and I also feel sorry for my opponent, she had nothing to do with it and like me was only here to fight...I apologize to everyone...I have nothing against Khelif and on the contrary if I happened to meet her again I would give her a hug."Angela Carini
Where to next?
Nabil Boudi, an attorney based in Paris, has helped the boxer file a suit of "acts of aggravated cyber harassment" in a criminal complaint filed with French authorities. Because this is under French law, "it was filed against unknown persons...which ensure that the 'prosecution has all the latitude to be able to investigate against all people,' including those who may have written hateful messages under pseudonyms."
Boudi asks that "the prosecution investigates not only these people but whoever it feels necessary. If the case goes to court, they will stand trial...it could target personalities overseas."
Imane Khelif has triumphed in the Olympic games and it remains to be seen if her persecutors will be held accountable for having vehemently opposed that.