IMANE KHELIF has hit out at Elon Musk for facilitating a “cruel” hate campaign against her.
The Algerian became her nation’s first Olympic gold medallist in women’s welterweight boxing and first gold medal-winning boxer since 1996 at the Paris Games this summer.
However, rather than being celebrated for her achievements, her time in France was dominated by scrutiny surrounding her participation.
It came after she was disqualified from the Women’s World Championships last year for failing International Boxing Association’s (IBA) gender eligibility rules.
Khelif has always competed in the women’s boxing division and has identified as a woman since birth.
However, a swathe of online hate was directed at her after she beat Italian opponent Angele Carini in 46 seconds, with the likes of JK Rowling, Donald Trump and Musk all directing vitriol towards Khelif.
Meanwhile, unsubstantiated claims she was born a male spread like wildfire on social media, despite transgender citizens not being recognised in her home country.
Khelif has now hit out at Musk for spreading hate against her, which comes after the 25-year-old filed a legal complaint against his ‘X’ platform for facilitating online harassment towards her.
In an emotional interview with French outlet CLIQUE, Khelif said: “Elon Musk was one of the first to attack me during this hate campaign. He posted this video and it was retweeted.
“So, he was one of the first to have spread this buzz, this campaign against me.”
Musk shared a post from American swimmer Riley Gaines which read: “Men don’t belong in women’s sports,” by quoting it and saying “Absolutely”.
Khelif added: “I would say… you hate me but you don’t even know me. I don’t even know why you led this attack. You have been cruel to me, cruel to my family, to my mother.
“At that time, my mother was going to hospital every day.
“So I don’t understand the behaviour of people today. God is my guide, I am a practising Muslim woman. I am a Muslim Arabic woman and I got through this moment.
“I hope I will be even stronger in the future and come back even more motivated.”
Because Khelif’s lawsuit was filed against X, in French law it means it is against unknown persons.
It accuses Musk and Rowling, among others, of committing “acts of aggravated cyber harassment”.
Her mother, Nasria, defiantly said: “My child is a girl. She was raised as a girl. Imane is a girl who has loved sport since she was six years old.
“I will always be there for her. She’s honoured the national flag. She is our role model.”
While Khelif was able to shut out the noise and win gold, the hate she received took a silent toll on her.
She said: “And what can I say about this stage? It was not enough. It was a very difficult stage. I could not wait for it to pass. The scenario was very scary.
“Thank God, all the people of Algeria and the Arab world knew the real Imane Khelif, with her femininity, her courage, her determination.
“Immediately after my opening victory at the Olympics, there was a big uproar from politicians around the world, from big athletes around the world, and even from artists and global stars.
“Elon Musk, Donald Trump… this thing affected me, to be honest. It affected me a lot. It hurt me a lot. I cannot describe to you the amount of fear which I experienced.
“I was afraid that I would say to myself, ‘Why did Imane Khelif insist on this? Why was there big uproar from around the world?’
“I was afraid. But, thank God, I was able to overcome this stage. Thanks to the psychiatrists who helped me to overcome this stage.”
THE International Olympic Committee (IOC) stirred up a huge controversy by clearing two women to box who had previously failed a gender test.
Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting were disqualified at the Women’s World Championships in New Delhi, India, in March 2023.
Lin Yu-ting was stripped of a bronze medal after failing a gender eligibility test.
Khelif was disqualified in New Delhi for failing a testosterone level test.
Officials found tests showed they had ‘XY chromosomes’ — which indicates a person is biologically male.
Rare ‘intersex’ medical conditions, medically known as differences in sexual development (DSDs), can also mean outwardly female individuals can have ‘male’ chromosomes, or vice versa.
The Russia-led International Boxing Association organised that event but is no longer recognised by the IOC.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams said: “These athletes have competed many times before for many years, they haven’t just suddenly arrived – they competed in Tokyo.
“The federation needs to make the rules to make sure that there is fairness but at the same time there is the ability for everyone to take part that wants to. That is a difficult balance.
“In the end the experts for each sport are the people who work in that. If there is a big advantage that clearly is not acceptable, but that needs to be a decision made at that level.”
Both Khelif and Lin competed at the delayed Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021. Lin is a two-time winner at the Asian Women Amateur Boxing Championships.
The IOC said all boxers in Paris “comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations”.
The controversy follows the famous case of Caster Semenya.
South African middle-distance runner Semenya has a condition which means her body naturally produces higher levels of testosterone than normal for women.
She won gold in the 800m at London 2012 and Rio in 2016 but was unable to compete at Tokyo in 2021 after World Athletics brought in new rules independently of the IOC at the time.
