An Irish boxer who competed for Team GB at the Paris Games has released a new statement following online criticism for her earlier remarks on the controversy surrounding Imane Khelif and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Amy Broadhurst responded on social media after Khelif's dramatic victory in the women's 66kg boxing competition in France.
In the round of 16, Khelif's opponent, Italian boxer Angela Carini, withdrew just 46 seconds into the match, stating she had "never been hit so hard" in her life.
This abrupt conclusion to the fight sparked debate over 25-year-old Khelif's eligibility to compete in women's events for Algeria, as she was banned last year from competing against females by the International Boxing Association (IBA).
The IBA alleged that Khelif failed a DNA test permitting her to fight in women's competitions, citing the presence of male XY chromosomes in the results.
However, these test results have never been disclosed to the public. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) reported that the disqualification was due to elevated testosterone levels.
Despite the ban, the IOC allowed Khelif to participate in the Paris Games, as her passport identifies her as female. Similarly, Taiwan’s double world champion Lin Yu-ting was also allowed to compete in the Olympics despite being banned by the IBA for the same issue.
This decision follows the IBA's loss of recognition by the IOC in 2023 over governance and financial concerns.
Broadhurst commented on X (formerly Twitter) after Khelif's fight, having previously defeated her in the ring.
She wrote: "I’ve had a lot of people texting me about Imane Khelif. Personally, I don’t think she has done anything to ‘cheat.’ I think it’s the way she was born, and that’s out of her control. The fact that she has been beaten by nine females before says it all."
Khelif has fought 50 times in her career, losing only nine matches, including one against Broadhurst in the final of the 2022 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships. Khelif has only stopped an opponent five times in those 41 wins.
On August 2, Broadhurst issued another statement after facing online trolling, urging social media users to "stop the bullying." She wrote on Instagram: "This is the last I’m going to speak on this situation because it’s a crazy situation."
"The IBA released a statement that two boxers failed a gender test over a year ago. That’s all well and good, but where are the results? They haven’t been published yet, so people are just believing what’s been said. Bear in mind the IBA were banned from having anything to do with the Olympics, so what a brilliant time for them to kick up a storm during the Olympic Games."
"I do not agree with male vs. female. I never will because it’s wrong. But the abuse this person has received in the last 24 hours without any real facts or proof is so wrong! Please keep in mind if your child was going through something like this, what would you do?"
"Wait for facts, wait for the results to become known, and then form your opinion, but stop the bullying."
Broadhurst shared the post on X, adding, "Please, the hate has been ridiculous."
One follower responded: "Thank you, Amy. The amount of hate I received just for defending her, I can't imagine how Imane has to deal with all this misinformation."
Another commented: "Big respect for you, champion. People talk without any research."
A third user posted: "The real hero is the one who always stands with the truth. Bravo, Amy."
This follows WWE superstar and YouTuber Logan Paul's retraction of comments about Khelif, where he referred to her as a "man beating up a woman on a global stage" in a now-deleted post.
Khelif has never publicly identified as a man, transgender, or intersex.
