Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, a genetic male, won a gold medal in the Paris Olympics Friday night after beating 13 women to snatch victory in the walterweight final.
The 25-year-old Khelif - who was disqualified from last year's IBA World Championships for failing a gender test, beat China's Yang Liu in front of a packed audience at Roland Garros - capping off a controversial path to first place in which the boxer didn't lose a single round.
🚨 IMANE KHALIF STEALS GOLD MEDAL IN WOMEN’S BOXING.
— Hazel Appleyard (@HazelAppleyard_) August 9, 2024
Today, the IOC allowed a male boxer with XY chromosomes to win a gold medal in women’s boxing, beating 4 women to get there.
For shame. Women’s sports is a joke.
SAVE WOMEN’S SPORTS. #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/Zms6jACk2r
After winning, Khelif could be seen with a raised arm in a mock military salute before being carried around the ring.
As the Daily Mail notes, questions have been raised over whether Khelif should have been permitted to fight in the women's competition in Paris, where eligibility rules were lax compared to the IBA.
The IBA was stripped of its right to run the Olympic competition amid a war with Games bosses the IOC. As a result, there are no gender or testosterone exams in Paris and the category is open to those who have ‘female’ in their passport.
Khelif, who roared ‘I am a woman’ after cruising to quarter-final victory, has been the subject of a wave of online abuse.
Meanwhile, Taiwan's Lin Yu-Ting, who was also disqualified from the IBA World Championships, will fight for gold in the featherweight division on Saturday night.
There has been a massive controversy over whether Khelif was actually born a male or a female - with some claiming 'she' has hyperandrogenism, a condition which features higher-than-usual levels of androgens (male hormones), however earlier this year IBA president Umar Kremlev told Russian news agency TASS that DNA tests "proved they had XY chromosomes and were thus excluded from the sports events."
The IBA told The Guardian that it had made the decision "following a comprehensive review and was intended to uphold the fairness and integrity of the competition."
Last week the IOC and the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit issued a joint statement saying that every athlete competing in the 2024 games had complied with their regulations.
"All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the competition's eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU)."
And since there were no gender tests, and all that was required was a passport that says 'female,' they complied.
Meanwhile, IOC President Thomas Bach claims there are 'zero scientific ways' to identify a woman.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Bach just said we have zero scientific ways to identify a woman pic.twitter.com/LUqsrNXLr3
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) August 9, 2024
The balls on these people...
It’s no secret men can easily beat the fuck out of women. That’s why we carry a gun.
— Valentina Gomez (@ValentinaForSOS) August 9, 2024
Fuck the Olympics. This is horrific.
— Alexander (@AlexandrTheOkay) August 9, 2024
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