The Paris 2024 Olympics has only been on for ten days but viewers have already been treated to a potpourri of interesting stories from the event. Of all these stories, none has garnered as much attention as the Olympics gender controversy, focusing on Algerian boxer Imane Khaleif.
The athlete who is competing in the women's boxing category became the center of attention when her opponent, Italy's Angela Carini, incredibly pulled out of their bout after just 46 seconds.
How It Happened
Both boxers had only exchanged a few punches during which the Italian’s headgear was displaced twice, before she decided to quit. This fight has ultimately stirred up the controversy of the tournament so far. Carini cried in the ring, and refused to shake her opponent after the match.
According to the Italian, she had no problem fighting Imane Khaleif but she was not qualified to decide whether the Algerian should be allowed to compete.
“I am not here to judge or pass judgment. If an athlete is this way, and in that sense it’s not right or it is right, it’s not up to me to decide. I just did my job as a boxer. I got into the ring and fought. I did it with my head held high and with a broken heart for not having finished the last kilometer.”
The qualification Carini was referring to had to do with the fact that the Algerian boxer was disqualified from the 2023 Women’s World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA)—alongside another boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan who is also participating, also controversially, at this Paris 2024 Olympics. Their disqualification by the IBO was based on failure to pass a gender eligibility test.
“I have never been hit so hard in my life…”
As Carini uttered those words with tears in her eyes after withdrawing from the bout, a storm began to gather right from the media zone in Paris that soon spiraled into a full blown hurricane on social media apps and newsrooms across the globe. Heated conversations, accusations, counter-accusations, finger-pointing, back and forths, statements and clarifications. The controversy has gotten out of control but nobody's really answering the real question: what defines a female athlete in today's competitive sports?
The truth of the matter is, the world we live in today is markedly different from what we are used to. Once we admit to that, then perhaps it becomes easier to navigate some of the issues. Khaleif may have failed a testosterone test in the past, but she has also been confirmed to have been born a female. Her father has provided official documents to that effect. So, does a particular testosterone content determine who is and who is not a female athlete in today's sporting environment? If yes, who decides which testosterone level is enough and according to what metrics?
Both the the International Olympics Committee (IOC) and the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit have been defiant in their standing that Khaleif, Lin Yu-ting and any other athletes competing at the Olympics has complied with the competition's eligibility and medical regulations. Although their statements did not name Khaleif specifically, it was a clear retort to the "misleading" information circulating about the eligibility of certain female athletes at the Games.
The Algerian boxer has also received widespread support from the sporting world, including from former Arsenal star Ismael Bennacer who condemned the "unjustified hatred" she faced. Most importantly, Angela Carini, the boxer whose actions kickstarted the uproar against Khaleif has now expressed regret over the controversy and extended an apology. She clarified that her actions were driven by the disappointment of her Olympics dreams being dashed and not by any personal animosity towards Imane Khaleif.
Going Forward
After a second victory at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Imane Khaleif is now guaranteed at least a bronze medal at the event, but going forward, the conversation must evolve towards more important questions.
What defines a female athlete in today's world of sports? How do we arrive at a definition that will be fair and justified to everyone, and prevent situations like this Olympics gender controversy from coming up in the future? The conversation must continue, as these answers to these queries will prevent further controversies in the future.