Controversial Olympic boxer Imane Khelif takes legal action over ‘serious online harassment’

Women’s Olympic welterweight boxing champion Imane Khelif is taking legal action after two weeks of online abuse during the Paris Olympics.

The Algerian fighter was wrongly questioned in Paris over her gender eligibility after her first-round opponent, Angela Carini, surrendered after just 46 seconds.

On Friday, Khelif won Algeria’s first medal in women’s boxing with a convincing victory, beating China’s Yang Liu.

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Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting has had a similar, albeit lesser-known, battle in the public eye on her way to featherweight gold.

Khelif and Lin were both disqualified from last year’s world championships organized by the International Boxing Association (IBA), a Russian-dominated umbrella organization that has been banned from the Olympic Games.

The IBA said the boxers had failed an eligibility test, but since they returned to the Olympics, the company has struggled to defend its claims, sometimes giving conflicting information or saying that national boxing associations had asked them not to provide details.

That didn’t stop the criticism and speculation online from continuing to grow.

Khelif’s lawyer has now filed a legal complaint over the dispute.

A jubilant Algerian crowd salutes gold medalist boxer Imane Khelif. Credit: MONKEY

“Boxer Imane Khelif has decided to start a new fight, a fight for justice, dignity and honor,” Nabil Boudi said in a statement

Boudi said they would fight against the “serious online harassment” she received.

“The investigation will reveal who is behind this misogynistic, racist and sexist campaign, but must also focus on those who fuelled the online lynchings,” he added.

He called it “unlawful intimidation” and warned it would be remembered as “the greatest stain on these Olympic Games.”

When asked after her gold medal on Sunday (AEST) if she would follow in Khelif’s footsteps, Lin said she would consider it.

“This is something I will discuss with my team. We will decide later what the next step will be,” she said.

Khelif spoke after the welterweight bout on Friday and poured cold water on the poisonous controversy.

“I am fully qualified to compete, I am a woman like any other. I was born as a woman, I have lived as a woman and I have competed as a woman,” she said.

Lin defeated Poland’s Julia Szeremeta 5-0 in the Roland Garros final on Saturday night (local time), crowning her four-fight unbeaten run in Paris with Taiwan’s first Olympic boxing medal.

Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting wipes away tears on the podium after winning her gold medal match. Credit: MONKEY

Both Khelif and Lin held their ground despite a barrage of criticism and unfounded speculation about their gender during the tournament in Paris, ultimately delivering the best performances of their boxing careers.

World leaders, celebrities and millions of online critics have questioned both boxers’ suitability for women’s competition or claimed they are men.

Rather than revenge or satisfaction, it was mostly joy that the 28-year-old Lin felt after her fourth consecutive unanimous points victory.

“I struggled and experienced sadness for years, but my dreams have finally come true,” Lin said.

“During the fight I saw images flashing by and I thought about the beginning of my career, when I started boxing.

“The times I got injured and fought against competitors, images flashed through my mind… times of great pain, times of great joy.

“I was crying (on the podium) because I represented my country and got the gold medal… I am so happy. I rewrote boxing history for my country.”

Like Khelif, Lin received a lot of support from her home country of Taiwan.

Lin was not as dominant and dynamic in Paris as Khelif, who received most of the criticism because the Taiwanese fighter avoided the media.

“As a top athlete, it is important to shut myself off from social media and focus during competition,” Lin said.

“I was invited by the IOC to participate in the Games. I focused on the Games.”

That focus allowed Lin to steadily progress to the final as the top seed in the women’s 57kg class.

The 1.75-meter Lin entered the ring on Saturday to loud cheers and dozens of Olympic-style Chinese Taipei flags flying in the stands.

Lin dominated the first two rounds with his fast hands and hit him with many clear punches, winning by dodging a few slow punches from Szeremeta in the last minute.

– With AAP

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Controversial Olympic boxer Imane Khelif takes legal action over ‘serious online harassment’

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