The Algerian boxer at the center of a gender row at the Paris Olympics has officially filed a legal complaint saying she has been a victim of online harassment.
Imane Khelif’s lawyer, Nabil Boudi, said the Paris Prosecutor’s Office filed the complaint on Friday.
Khelif was crowned an Olympic champion on Friday after comfortably beating China’s Yang Liu by unanimous decision to win gold in the women’s welterweight final.
She won each of the three rounds on the judges’ scorecards and jumped into the arms of her trainer when the decision was announced. He carried the 25-year-old around the arena on his shoulders in celebration.
On Saturday, the gold-winning boxer said: All that is being said about me on social media is immoral. I want to change the minds of people around the world.
She continued: This has been my dream for eight years, and I’m now the Olympic champion and gold medalist.
When asked about the row, she told reporters that also gives my success a special taste because of those attacks.
She added: I’m fully qualified to take part in this competition. I’m a woman like any other woman. I was born as a woman, I live as a woman, and I am qualified.
It should be noted that Khelif faced intense scrutiny following a previous incident in which an opponent quit after 46 seconds, citing concerns about her health due to the strength of her punches.
In response to her critics, Khelif stated that winning a gold medal would be the most effective comeback.
Some people argued that she should have been disqualified from competing due to suspicions of having elevated testosterone levels, which could result in increased strength and muscle mass, potentially posing a danger to her opponents.
Both Khelif and a Taiwanese boxer were disqualified from the world championships last year after failing gender eligibility tests conducted by the International Boxing Association (IBA).
However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) criticized this decision, calling it abrupt and unjust and highlighting significant test flaws.
Furthermore, the IOC has taken action against the IBA, banning the association due to governance issues, alleged corruption, and connections with Russia.
