Algerian boxer Imane Khelif breaks down in tears amid Olympics controversy and online backlash

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was moved to tears after securing a victory in the 66 kg quarter-final boxing match against Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori, following a deeply emotional few days.

Earlier today, Hamori shared a now-deleted controversial image on Instagram featuring a muscular horned monster confronting a female boxer.

Khelif, who was greeted like a rockstar by enthusiastic fans in the ring, has faced ongoing online backlash since her quick victory over Italy’s Angela Carini, which lasted under a minute.

One of the first three female Olympic boxers from Algeria sent to Tokyo three years ago, Khelif encountered challenges after being disqualified at last year's Women's World Championships. 

She and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting were disqualified following a gender eligibility test that reportedly showed elevated testosterone levels in their systems.

Following Khelif’s victory over Carini, she faced accusations of competing in the incorrect gender category from several notable figures, including J.K. Rowling. 

On X, Rowling shared a photo from the match and commented, “Could any picture sum up our new men’s rights movement better?” 

She further commented that the image reflected the “smirk of a male who’s knows he’s protected by a misogynist sporting establishment enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head, and whose life’s ambition he’s just shattered.”

Elon Musk, on the other hand, shared a post from swimmer Riley Gaines asserting that “men don’t belong in women’s sports.” 

The owner of X endorsed the message by commenting: “Absolutely.”

However, as Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, emphasized in a press briefing today, Khelif was born and raised as a woman, has competed as one in the past, and is listed as a woman on her passport.

“We will not take part in a sometimes-politically motivated cultural war,” Bach continued.