Imane Khelif: the many fights of Algeria’s Olympic gold medallist

Carini revealed that she had received messages before the bout from the IBA. The president of the Italian National Olympic Committee, Giovanni Malagò, told the sports newspaper La Stampa that the IBA had told Carini to "fight, not compete, because Khelif is not a woman".

Carini fighting for less than a minute put the issue under the spotlight and major names in sport and politics piled in.

Getting political

The Russian president of the World Boxing Association Umar Kremlev offered Carini €100,000 in compensation, while Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni consoled her.

This has been a long and bitter struggle for the Algerian Olympian, who became the first Arab and African woman to win gold in the ring when she defeated China's Liu Yang in the final bout in August.

Khelif's fight has been outside the ring, too, combating deeply entrenched stereotypes and prejudices against women in general, and particularly against those who do not conform to traditional notions of masculinity and femininity.

German TV host Stefan Raab put it succinctly, saying "the skilled punch is not about gender, but about technique and training". Still, the whole debate has carried a sting, given the enormous worldwide audience of the Olympics.

The Games are supposed to be above politics, yet politics often muscles its way in. As people are stirred by the athletic spectacle, emotions can run high.

Khelif's story

Khelif was raised in poverty in rural Algeria. Deprived of a proper childhood and subjected to bullying, she had big dreams and was determined to chase them, which she did all the way to Paris.

She trained in Assisi, carried the flag during the Mediterranean Games held in Oran in 2022 (passing it to Taranto, where the next edition will be held in August 2026), and lost many matches before she started winning.

Undeterred from the intense hostility, Khelif said she could and should compete, having been born, raised, and lived as a female. This was enough for the IOC.

Some have suggested that she is biologically male, but to-date no medical evidence that she has XY chromosomes, or even high levels of testosterone, has been published.

Boxing for centuries, boxing has been a largely male-only sport, and women's boxing was only introduced to the Games in 2012, so there are still prevailing social gender norms around the competition, but this does not change her identity.

In today's world, the criticism and anger she has faced was inevitably widespread, with everything now instantly accessible through live streaming across various digital platforms. Social media is a powerful force, for good and bad.

Talking biology

This new media landscape meant that the bullying quickly targeted her body. But she has done nothing wrong. Nature gave her the body it did and she is using it.

This may give her greater strength and muscle endurance, these qualities are further honed by rigorous training, passion, determination, and pursuit of excellence.

The issue lies in the long history of stereotyping women, reducing them to their physical features and devaluing them when they do not conform to accepted ideas. This, in a nutshell, is what happened to Khelif.

The conflict between the IBA and the IOC over her gender complicated her situation, but so did political ideologies.

In the process, she became a symbol and standard bearer for the dreams of the poor and the oppressed, and a model for all women who must fight against an unjust, male-dominated culture just to participate in what they are allowed to participate in.

In anatomy, medical students learn there are about four types of female pelvis shape: the gynecoid (which is the most common), the anthropoid, the platypelloid, and the android, with differences between them.

True, some women have bodies that resemble features typically seen in men, but they are still women. This is not a flaw. The true flaw lies in the human conscience, which is often swayed by personal biases.

Yes, sexual hormone levels can exceed the typical range for most individuals of a particular gender. Some women may have elevated testosterone levels. But they are still women. Some men may have higher levels of oestrogen, but they remain men.

The speed of lies

Do sports audiences need to be well-versed in these matters to develop a more objective perspective? And even if this knowledge were widely available, would it end prejudice and eliminate bullying?

It would not, because the world of sport thrives on competition and rivalry, stirring the audience's instincts. The average spectator may not know about anatomy, but the responsible authorities should not be exempt from this knowledge.

In reality, the world is deeply polarised and is growing more so. Racism has reawakened, despite all humanity's horrific experiences leading to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Author Mark Twain once famously said that "a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still getting its boots on". He also said "it is easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled".

The rapid spread of fake news is driven by the sheer number of users across various platforms. They adopt and share without verification, either due to ignorance or with deliberate intent to shape public opinion on a particular issue.

As a result, the truth gets lost. In the heat of competition and debate, those who have been deceived are unlikely to acknowledge that they have been fooled. Rather, they embrace whatever fuels their anger and excitement, led by those with agendas.

Adapting to change

We live in an era of huge scientific advances, whether digital or medical, and this brings not only new concepts and ideas, but often also some profound philosophical and existential questions over some matters that once felt straightforward, such as gender.

There now appears to be added complexity and, alongside that, closer scrutiny and heated debate. Khelif stepped into that, as well as into the boxing ring. She is not the first and will not be the last.

Earlier this year, Iranian-born Apameh Schönauer—who became Miss Germany 2024—caused an online furore because she did not conform to the accepted norms of a 'Miss Germany'. A 39-year-old mother of two, there were plenty who criticised.

An immigrant and a feminist activist, she was bullied for not being a stereotypical beauty queen, yet she entered a competition being judged on far more than body shape. Hers is a story of womanhood with depth.

Last words to Italy

The debate over gender has been resurrected by Khelif's golden Games, it was already a running sore. Had she not fought her way to a medal, it would have popped up somewhere else.

Had her body shape been different, no-one would have harassed her, scrutinised her, or questioned her femininity. It is difficult to see these reactions as unrelated to racism, prejudice, and the politics of culture wars.

Perhaps the last word should go to Giovanni Malagò, president of the Italian National Olympic Committee.

While committee representatives tried to reassure Carini before the bout, the issue "was quickly politicised on social media," he said.

"Everything is exploited by politics today. The campaign against Khelif, which initially began with the false claim that she was transgender was, at least in Italy, initiated by right-wing politicians." Who would have thought it.