After all the attention surrounding her Olympic appearance, Imane Khelif has finally addressed spoken out.
Khelif, a 25-year-old woman representing Algeria, has been the center of controversy after competing in the women's 66kg light welterweight division against Italy’s Angela Carini at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The bout ended after approximately 46 seconds when Carini brought it to a halt after taking a few devastating blows to the face.
The Italian boxer fell to her knees crying and according to multiple outlets including Reuters, she later revealed that she felt "severe pain in [her] nose" and that's why she had to drop out.
Since the fight, speculation around Khelif's gender became a hot topic online with misinformation and hate spreading through different threads and headlines.
Mark Adams, the chief spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee, spoke out about this widespread "misinformation" at a news conference on August 2 as per the New York Times, stating that Khelif is an eligible athlete and has also added that she is not transgender.
Khelif, who is now guaranteed a medal at the prestigious games, has been identified as a female since birth, is listed as a woman on her passport, and has been competing in women’s boxing since she started in the sport.
In the wake of all the attention surrounding the issue, the Algerian has spoken out about the bullying she's faced over the past few weeks.
Speaking to the SNTV, she said she had a message for the people of the world.
"I send a message to all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes, because this has effects, massive effects," Khelif said in Arabic in an interview with SNTV, according to the Associated Press.
"It can destroy people, it can kill people’s thoughts, spirit, and mind. It can divide people. And because of that, I ask them to refrain from bullying," she added.
Khelif's next fight will be against Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng in order to advance to Friday’s gold medal match.
She opened up about keeping in contact with her family during this difficult time.
"I am in contact with my family two days a week. I hope that they weren’t affected deeply," she said. "They are worried about me.
"God willing, this crisis will culminate in a gold medal, and that would be the best response," she added.
We wish her all the best in her journey to the podium!
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