Imane Khelif, the Algerian boxer who has been at the center of a gender controversy at the Paris Olympics, has spoken out in an interview for the first time since the debate exploded across the media and social media.
Having clinched a guaranteed medal at the Olympics, Khelif spoke about the impact of the bullying and harassment she has experienced over the last week.
“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 told SNTV, a sports video partner of The Associated Press, in Arabic. “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.”
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Khelif, as well as Taiwan’s boxer Lin Yu-ting, have been at the center of a gender-eligibility controversy. The two allegedly failed “gender-eligibility tests” from the IBA, and the head of the IBA claimed they tested XY on a chromosome test. The IOC has forcefully said the two women are female.
On Monday, the International Boxing Association held a press conference in Paris to refute the IOC’s claim. In what has been described as a “chaotic” press conference, the IBA again asserted the two athletes failed a chromosome test, though they reportedly didn’t give a lot of details about that.
Khelif guaranteed herself at least a bronze medal by winning her quarterfinal match. In Olympic boxing, everyone who makes the semifinals earns at least a bronze, as there is no bronze-medal match.
She broke down in tears in the ring after learning she will walk away from Paris with a medal, an outpouring of emotion after an emotionally difficult week.
She also talked to the outlet about the effects on her family back in Algeria, adding to the mental impact of the attacks on her, her country and her gender.
“I am in contact with my family two days a week. I hope that they weren’t affected deeply,” she told SNTV. “They are worried about me. God willing, this crisis will culminate in a gold medal, and that would be the best response.”
Khelif competes in her semifinal match on Tuesday.
