July 31st 2024.
Last year, Imane Khelif was disqualified from the world championships in India after failing a gender test. Along with Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan, she was found to have XY chromosomes, raising questions about their biological sex. However, despite this, both fighters have been cleared to compete in the women's events at the Paris Olympics by the International Olympic Committee.
This decision has been met with criticism and concern, with double Olympian and current world champion Claressa Shields speaking out against it. She, along with others, are demanding better protection for female fighters. As Khelif prepares to face Italy's Angela Carini in the welterweight bout, many are questioning the fairness of allowing her to compete.
Recently, footage of Khelif's brutal fight against Mexican boxer Brianda Tamara has surfaced on social media. The video shows Khelif relentlessly attacking Tamara, eventually causing the fight to be stopped in the third round. Tamara has since shared her experience of the fight, stating that she felt out of her depth and was hurt by Khelif's blows.
Three months after this fight, a test revealed that Khelif had XY chromosomes. This discovery has only added to the scrutiny surrounding her and Lin's participation in the Olympics. Shields, who is the USA's most successful Olympic boxer, has expressed her disappointment and disbelief at the decision to allow men to compete against women in boxing.
For Shields, this situation is heartbreaking, and she insists she would not have stood for it. Many other female boxers, including Taiwan's Lin Yuting, are also speaking out against this decision. However, the International Boxing Association, who barred Khelif and Lin from competing in the world championships, is not overseeing the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee has stated that both fighters are eligible to compete and have female passports.
Khelif's disqualification from last year's world championships was due to elevated testosterone levels that did not meet the eligibility criteria. The Algerian Olympic Committee has claimed that this was a medical issue, but Khelif believes there may have been a conspiracy to prevent her from winning a gold medal. Amidst all the controversy, Khelif will be facing Carini in her upcoming bout, and many will be watching closely to see how she performs.
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