Why is Imane Khelif So Controversial?
Fight fans will recall the controversy surrounding the Algerian boxer Imane Khelif in the Paris 2024 olympics.
In her round of 16 bout against Angela Carini of Italy, the fight was stopped after 46 seconds as Carini retired, claiming she’d “never felt a punch like this.” Whilst at the time Carini had suffered a suspected broken nose, this was never confirmed subsequently.
In boxing, your opponent tries to hurt you by punching you in the face. Hard. It shouldn’t have come as a shock to Carini.
The subsequent row that blew up was unfortunate for everyone. It was unfortunate for Khelif, because she had to have her physiology, including chromosomal makeup, hormone levels and basic gender questioned in public.
It was unfortunate for the Olympics, because despite passing all of their gender requirement tests, Khelif’s case threatened to overshadow the games.
It was also unfortunate for the public, because the sheer amount of misinformation that was printed, re-published and shared meant the truth didn’t ever really see the light of day. So much of the controversy was opinion based, rather than fact.
Where Does the Controversy Stem From?
The questions about Imane’s gender starts with a failed ‘gender eligibility test’ from the International Boxing Association (IBA).
The IBA is a Russian-led organisation which is separate from the IOC (International Olympic Committee). The IOC maintained that Imane Khelif was eligible to compete as a woman because the IBA’s decision was “sudden and arbitrary” and taken “without any due process”.
At this point, it appears it’s a case of one word against another. It remains that way until you dig a little deeper…
Imane Khelif Gender Not Questioned for Years
Imane Khelif was born female, raised female and had never had her gender questioned before boxing.
She had boxed as a woman since her debut tournament in 2018. She didn’t win a medal until 2021, when she won the Istanbul Bosphorus International Boxing Tournament. In the subsequent 2020 Olympics (held in 2021 due to COVID restrictions) she lost in the quarter finals.
The drama only started in the 2023 IBA women’s world championships. She reached the final and was due to face Yang Liu for the gold medal, but was banned ahead of the bout.
The ban came three days after beating Azalia Amineva, a previously unbeaten Russian. Following the ban, the loss was scrubbed from Amineva’s record, and her unbeaten status restored.
So, having been allowed to compete in the tournament, a Russian-backed organisation banned Imane Khelif only after she beat the Russian prospect.
Seems more than a little suspicious.
More Controversy Follows
The unfortunate thing for Imane Khelif is the lack of investigation that commentators engaged in before making a judgement.
Former geek turned Donald Trump fanboy Elon Musk was one to make statements early, as Harry Potter author JK Rowling, who seems hell-bent on picking fights left right and centre when it comes to all things trans.
The IBA have never produced a shred of evidence to suggest that Khelif is anything but female. They’ve not shown the results of a chromosomal test indicating Imane Khelif has an XY chromosome, which would indicate she is male. They’ve also never published the results of hormonal tests, indicating high levels of testosterone.
What the IBA did say is that Khelif “did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test, whereby the specifics remain confidential”.
That translates as ‘believe us, but we aren’t going to show you the results’.
In all likelihood, the IBA knows Imane Khelif is a woman and it’s simply because she beat the Russian prospect that this blew up. Carini making a claim she’d never been hit like that simply added a little extra fuel to the fire, and the IBA were probably delighted that they didn’t look so bitter any more.
Make your own mind up, but personally I like a little more proof than ‘we did a test, but we’re not going to show the results, just believe us’ before I assume someone is actually a man when they’ve been born and raised as a woman.
