As Imane Khelif readies for her Paris bout, the debate over her Olympic eligibility in the women’s category has escalated, spurred by online hate speech and gendered disinformation.
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif made headlines following her victory in the welterweight (66 kg) boxing category against Italy’s Angela Carini on August 1. Khelif was declared the winner by the referee following Carini’s decision to quit after just 46 seconds.
But many of the headlines were far from celebratory. With Khelif’s victory came a wave of disinformation and heated discussion about the athlete’s gender.
On social media, influential posters ranging from politicians like Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and former US President Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance, to athletes like the American swimmer Riley Gaines and well-known public figures like bestselling “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling shared accusations that Khelif was competing in a women’s category despite being a man, and that Thursday’s bout had been an unfair matchup.
[Translation: I know you won’t give up, Angela, and I know that one day you will earn with effort and sweat what you deserve. In a finally fair competition.]
Several media outlets like the UK’s Daily Mail Online or India’s Times Algebra also shared posts with the claim that Khelif was either transgender or a biological man.
Despite there being no proof that Khelif is a transgender boxer, heated debates on social media are still ongoing. A look at the numbers and search terms on Google Trends regarding Imane Khelif reveals that the top search terms still include “disorders of sex development,” “XY chromosome” and “Imane Khelif gender test.”
Looking at the comments left by users under posts by media outlets about Khelif’s upcoming matches also reveal the extent of hate speech and disinformation being spread about the boxer.
Disinformation, support for Khelif go viral
The hashtag #IStandWithAngelaCarini has mainly been used to push the narrative that the Italian boxer was at a disadvantage because she had allegedly been forced to fight a man. But it hasn’t just been those attacking Khelif who have been active on social media, with her supporters using the hashtag #IStandWithImaneKhelif.
Several users trawled the internet to dig up photos providing “evidence” of Khelif’s femininity — sharing childhood photos, official documents and interviews with her family members.
“My child is a girl. She was raised as a girl,” said her father Omar Khelif in a short video clip posted to YouTube by Sky News. “She’s a strong girl. I raised her to be hard-working and brave. She has a strong will to work and to train.”
What have sports officials said?
Officials from various sporting bodies have also come to Khelif’s defense, sharing information in an attempt to clear the doubts about her gender.
The Algerian Olympic and Sports Committee was among the first to strongly condemn the allegations. In a statement issued on the day of her first fight, the committee said, “Such attacks are entirely unethical and baseless, especially as she prepares for the pinnacle event of her athletic career — the Olympic Games.”
In a post on Facebook, it added that it had filed an official complaint with the International Olympic Committee to address the online harassment of Khelif.
At a press conference on August 3, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said the “hate speech” directed at boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, a Taiwanese boxer facing similar allegations, at the Paris Olympics was “totally unacceptable.”
“How can somebody being born, raised, competed and having a passport not be considered a woman?” he said. “We will not take part in a politically motivated cultural war.”
Disinformation about Khelif still widespread
But even these official statements have not ended the debate surrounding Khelif’s gender, with many pointing to the fact that Khelif was disqualified by the International Boxing Association (IBA) in 2023. In a press conference on August 5, the IBA specified that both Khelif and Lin had been ruled ineligible after a sex chromosome test.
At the time, IBA President Umar Kremlev told Russian state news agency TASS that DNA test results showed that several athletes had XY chromosomes. Traditionally, XX chromosomes stand for female and XY chromosomes for male, but science has shown it’s not as simple as that.
The IOC has stated that the gender tests conducted by the IBA were illegitimate and lacked credibility. On August 1, the Olympics governing body said it stands by the athletes and their eligibility to compete. The committee has long criticized the IBA and banned the Russian-run organization in 2019.
While Khelif has not commented on her gender or any test results, the boxer has spoken out about the mental toll this viral debate and hate speech has on athletes. In an interview with SNTV on August 5, Khelif urged the people to “uphold the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes, because this has effects, massive effects.
“It can destroy people, it can kill people’s thoughts, spirit and mind. It can divide people,” she added.
Khelif’s next fight on Tuesday is against Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand. The winner of the match will compete for a gold medal on Friday.
This article first appeared on DW. Imane Khelif beat Janjaem Suwannapheng and will play for the gold on Friday, August 9 2024.
