Olympics gender controversy: Should biological males compete against women?
Debate over the biological sex of a boxer who won a women's match at the Olympic Games is sweeping the globe. Here's what Americans have to say about the issue.
Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer who failed a gender test prior to the 2024 Paris Olympics, will be guaranteed at least a bronze medal at the Summer Games after a win Saturday over a Hungarian fighter.
Khelif defeated Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori in the 66-kilogram fight, via unanimous decision. Because there are no bronze medal fights, even if Khelif loses in the semifinals against Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng.
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Imane Khelif of Team Algeria looks on against Anna Luca Hamori of Team Hungary during the Women's 66kg Quarter-final round match on day eight of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at North Paris Arena on August 3, 2024, in Paris, France. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Khelif has been in the midst of a gender eligibility controversy following a disqualification from the 2023 Women’s World Championships, sanctioned by the International Boxing Association.
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach defended having Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-Ting in the women’s division bouts.
"What is going on in this context in the social media with all this hate speech, with this aggression and abuse, and fueled by this agenda, is totally unacceptable," Bach said.
The Algerian Olympic Committee said it had filed an official complaint with the IOC to protest the online harassment against Khelif that amounted to a "a serious violation of sports ethics and the Olympic Charter by one of the participants in the boxing tournament."
Algeria's Imane Khelif reacts prior to the match against Hungary's Anna Luca Hamori in the women's 66kg quarter-final boxing match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the North Paris Arena, in Villepinte on August 3, 2024. (MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images)
The organization said that another boxer, who was not identified, posted disparaging comments on Khelif and warned that the IOC "has issued a final warning to delete every post that concerns our heroine."
"We reserve the right to prosecute everyone who participated in the heinous campaign against our heroine Imane Khelif," the Algerian team said.
Hamori vowed to be ready going into the fight despite the controversy surrounding Khelif and protests from her own federation.
"I’m not scared," Hamori said Thursday. "I don’t care about the press story and social media."
Algeria's Imane Khelif (L) fights against Hungary's Anna Luca Hamori in the women's 66kg quarter-final boxing match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the North Paris Arena, in Villepinte on August 3, 2024. (Mohd Rasfan/AFP via Getty Images)
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Khelif got to the quarterfinals after Italy’s Angela Carini abandoned the match 46 seconds into the round of 16.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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