Gold medalist Imane Khelif has reportedly lodged an official complaint following the Olympic boxing gender controversy.
The participation of Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, who also won gold in Paris, became a global issue due to their expulsion by the IBA in 2023 for failing a ‘gender eligibility test’.
The likes of Elon Musk and JK Rowling were among those who reacted to the news on social media and it has now been reported that Khelif has taken legal action over what has been described as online harassment.
Lawyer Nabil Boudi, who claims to be Khelif’s lawyer, confirmed in a statement that he asked his law firm to file a complaint on behalf of the boxer with the Paris prosecutor’s office.
Boudi said: “Having recently won a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, boxer Imane Khelif has decided to lead a new fight: for justice, dignity and honor.
“Ms. Khelif contacted the company, which filed a complaint yesterday about the acts of computer harassment at the anti-hate online center of the Paris public prosecutor’s office.
“The unfair abuse of the boxing champion will remain a big stain on the Olympics.”
Algeria’s Khelif won gold in the women’s 66kg category but the story came to a head in her first fight when Italy’s Angela Carini stopped one minute because she could not withstand the strength of her opponents. Carini later apologized for the way he handled the outcome of the fight.
Yu-ting won gold at 57kg after Poland’s Julia Szeremeta on Saturday. He cried on the podium when the Chinese Taipei flag was raised.
And, speaking to the South China Morning Post, the boxer said he might follow Khelif’s lead when it comes to the courts.
He said: “This is something I will discuss with my team. We will decide later what the next step will be.”
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