A lawyer for Algerian boxer Imane Khelif says the gold medalist has asked prosecutors in Paris to investigate the online harassment she faced during the Olympics because of her gender and her attendance at the Games.
Lawyer Nabil Boudi said in a statement on Instagram that his firm had filed a complaint with the Paris prosecutor’s online hate unit. It was not immediately clear where the complaint would lead. The Associated Press reported Sunday that under French law, it is up to prosecutors to decide whether an investigation is warranted and who might be to blame.
Khelif faced a barrage of negative criticism on social media after winning her first fight in the 66-kilogram (145-pound) division with an unusually quick stoppage. Her opponent, Italian Angela Carini, gave up the fight within 46 seconds after taking some hard punches from Khelif, including one to the nose, after which she complained she could not breathe properly.
Khelif was classified as female by birth and the International Olympic Committee has repeatedly confirmed her qualification to compete in the women’s division. But the knockout drew attention to a decision by the International Boxing Federation last year to disqualify Khelif and another boxer, Lin Yu-ting, from the world championships. (Lin won a gold medal on Saturday night.)
The IBA said Khelif and Lin had an advantage over other women because of the tests conducted during the tournament. But details of the tests were not disclosed and officials publicly and chaotically backed away from a plan to release more accurate results during the Games. The IOC rejected the IBA’s claims, saying they reflected the IBA’s disorganization rather than its authority in women’s sport.
The furore stoked discord among sports fans and activists on highly sensitive issues such as inclusion, fairness and the complex biology of gender. Numerous people online criticized Khelif with false claims. Boudi called the talk a “misogynistic, racist and sexist campaign.”
“This unfair harassment that the world boxing champion had to endure will remain the biggest stain on these Olympic Games,” he said.
Khelif, who won her gold medal match on Friday, will finish her Games as one of Algeria’s two flag bearers at the closing ceremony on Sunday.
(Photo: Mohd Rasfan / AFP via Getty Images)
