"Criticism That 'They Stole the Female Athlete's Medal'"
The gender of Iman? Khalif (25), who participated in the women's events at the 2024 Paris Olympics, remains controversial.
According to Yonhap News on the 29th, the media outlet covering Olympic news, 'Inside the Games,' cited the AP News the day before and reported, "There has been ongoing debate over including Khalif as a nominee for Female Athlete of the Year."
Imane Khalif of Algeria is seen celebrating with a determined expression after winning 5-0 by decision against Hungary's Enner Lucher Hermori in the women's boxing 66kg quarterfinals at the South Paris Arena in Paris for the Paris Olympics. Photo by AP, Yonhap News
AP News announced on the 24th that in the 'Female Athlete of the Year' member voting results, Khalif received 4 out of 74 votes, placing third behind Caitlin Clark (American Women's Professional Basketball, 35 votes) and American gymnastics legend Simone Biles (25 votes).
Khalif competed in the women's 66kg boxing category at the Paris Olympics, winning all her matches by a 5-0 decision and standing atop the podium with overwhelming performance. Some athletes who lost to Khalif at the time broke down in tears after the matches, protesting the unfairness.
AP News reported criticism that nominating Khalif as a 'Female Athlete of the Year' candidate was itself wrong. Riley Gaines, host of the podcast specializing in women's sports 'Gaines for Girls,' appeared on a broadcast by Fox Sports USA and pointed out, "Khalif stole the medals of other female athletes who deserved to win medals at the Olympics." She further claimed, "The International Olympic Committee (IOC), which allowed Khalif to compete in the Olympics, deliberately put a male who would endanger female athletes in the boxing ring."
Charlie Arnolt, a former ESPN host, also said, "It makes no sense to nominate someone whose biological sex is unknown as a 'Female Athlete of the Year' candidate."
Angela Carini of Italy (left) is tearful after forfeiting her match against Iman Khalif of Algeria in the Round of 16 of the women's 66kg boxing event at the Paris Olympics. Photo by EPA Yonhap News
The gender controversy surrounding Khalif first escalated at last year's World Championships hosted by the International Boxing Association (IBA). During the competition, the IBA announced that Khalif had XY chromosomes, which generally indicate male, and disqualified him. However, the IOC confirmed that there was no problem with Khalif competing in women's Olympic events based on the gender registered on his passport.
Some foreign media claimed in October to have obtained a medical report stating that Khalif has testicles. Khalif is taking legal action against these media reports. He has also filed a complaint with French authorities regarding online harassment he suffered from celebrities during the Olympic period.
Recently, there has been a growing movement in the sports world to ban transgender athletes from competing in women's events. The rationale is that even if an athlete has changed their biological sex from male to female, participation in women's competitions is unfair if the athlete has already undergone male secondary sexual characteristics.
The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) in the UK recently established regulations banning transgender women from participating in national and club-level tournaments. The R&A, the organization that sets and manages golf tournament rules, also announced a 'Fair Competition Policy' that includes regulations on transgender participation in professional and amateur competitions.
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