During the Olympics in Paris, Imane Khelif was in the center of a controversy and received criticism from J.K. Rowling, Elon Musk, and Donald Trump, among others.
But she isn’t going to back down in the face of the outrage. She has a daring message for President Trump, as she prepares to defend her title at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
The controversy’s origin
Imane Khelif, 25, is a boxer from Algeria who has been at the heart of a contentious debate. Some have called for her to be barred from women’s boxing. Her disqualification from the 2023 World Championships due to contested allegations that she passed gender eligibility tests heightened the anger.
The contentious International Boxing Association (IBA) apparently tested Imane Khelif and discovered that he possesses male XY chromosomes.
She was permitted to compete by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in spite of this, which infuriated the IBA, which has since sued the Olympic governing body.
Controversy broke out during the women’s 66kg quarterfinal match at the Paris Olympics. Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer, took Angela Carini of Italy out of the ring after just 46 seconds of combat after landing a strong blow. Due to “severe pain” from the blow, Carini withdrew.
The incident caused many who were guessing that Khelif was not “biologically female” to reconsider their theories and believe that it was unjust for Italy’s Carini to have to compete against someone who wasn’t “female.”
Being sued
In spite of the controversy, Khelif won gold in the welterweight class at the Olympics in Paris. The question now is whether she will have the opportunity to defend her gold in 2028 in Los Angeles.
She is currently being sued by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for permitting her to compete.
President Donald Trump just added gasoline to the fire by signing an executive order called “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” Khelif was specifically targeted by him, who called her a “male boxer” who had “transitioned” and “stole the women’s gold medal after brutalizing his female opponent.”
Khelif isn’t giving up, though. By retaliating against Trump, the Algerian warrior has demonstrated that she will not be intimidated.
retaliates Trump, Donald
She denied having anything to do with the recent transgender laws in the United States in an interview with ITV, saying:
The president of the United States made a judgment concerning transgender policies in the country. Not that I’m transgender. I am neither intimidated nor concerned by this.
Notwithstanding the raging debate, Khelif saw her victory in Paris as the final blow to those who attempted to undermine her.
“I’ve learned a lot from this campaign against me, and the events at the Olympics in Paris were eye-opening,” she said.
According to her, the event only strengthened her:
If the previous Imane Khelif was functioning at half her potential, then the current Imane is even more driven and focused. “I feel even stronger now than I was before.”
She claims that winning the gold medal in the Olympics was a tremendous message rather than merely an athletic accomplishment.
“In my opinion, the gold medal from the Olympics in Paris was the best medal of the whole competition. On all levels—ethical, athletic, and even in terms of sportsmanship—the triumph was significant.
A lawsuit was filed against Elon Musk.
But the constant criticism from well-known people like J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk had a negative effect on her family, especially her mother.
“I was shocked when I realized that even heads of state, well-known people, and former athletes were talking about me without having confirmed facts,” she said.
Her loved ones were severely impacted by the criticism. Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling were also sued by the Algerian boxer, who claimed that they had engaged in “cyber-harassment.”
It had a psychological impact on my family and me. My mother was also severely impacted; she was visiting the hospital nearly daily.
According to Khelif, she refused to give in even though the strain was sometimes too much to handle.
This went beyond a simple game or athletic problem. Despite feeling demoralized and psychologically impacted, I continued to be conscious of what was going on. I was supported and helped by a group of specialized specialists even during the Olympics in Paris. Without their help, I could have sunk into a deep depression.
Imane Khelif, the Algerian boxer who won gold at the Paris Olympics amid a bitter gender eligibility row, speaks exclusively to @stevescott_itv about aiming to retain her title at LA 2028, why she isn’t intimidated by President Trump and how the ‘campaign’ against her in Paris… pic.twitter.com/aFNU13yeQf
— ITV News (@itvnews) March 18, 2025
How do you feel about the whole controversy? Is it legal for Imane Khelif to participate in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles? Please provide your thoughts in the comments section.
