Imane Khelif from Algeria won a controversial victory this week over Italy’s Angela Carini in a 46-second bout at the Paris Olympics women’s boxing competition. However, her win has sparked global debate due to questions surrounding Khelif’s gender.
Khelif previously won a silver medal at the International Boxing Association’s 2022 World Championships. However, the IBA disqualified her from last year’s championships because of what it claimed were elevated levels of testosterone and the detection of XY chromosomes in her body.
Due to that disqualification, critics began claiming that Khelif was a “biological man” pretending to be a woman to compete in matches. The uproar intensified when Carini expressed dissatisfaction with the Olympic bout’s outcome, dropping to her knees and yelling, “This isn’t fair!” 46 seconds into the fight after a hard punch to her nose.
The reaction fueled public discourse, dividing opinions between support for Carini and defense of Khelif’s right to compete as a woman if she has male XY chromosomes.
Contrary to some narratives being spread, Khelif is not transgender. She was born and raised as a female, has female genitalia, and identifies as a woman. Additionally, it is illegal to be transgender in Algeria.
Khelif is biologically intersex, meaning she was born with sex characteristics that don’t fit typical definitions of male or female. Intersex variations can include differences in chromosomes, hormones and genitalia. Approximately 1.7% of the global population is intersex, making it more common than often perceived.
“The Algerian boxer was born female, was registered female, lived her life as a female, has a female passport,” the International Olympic Committee said in a press conference on Friday.
Khelif has not publicly responded to Carini’s remarks but remains focused on her Olympic journey and her next match, scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 3.
