Boxer Imane Khelif shows off new ‘feminine’ look after Paris 2024 Olympics gender controversy
Imane Khelif asserted that her identity was not defined by her looks after an online dispute about her gender.
Pop Culture & Art |
August 19, 2024
Boxer Imane Khelif, Algeria’s first female Olympic gold medalist in boxing, recently unveiled a new look after her participation in the Paris 2024 Olympics sparked an online debate over her gender.
In a video shared on Instagram by Beauty Code and Khelif, the athlete is initially seen wearing a blue shirt and her red boxing gloves. The video then transitions to Khelif in a white floral button-down shirt, complemented by hoop earrings adorned with pink flowers.
She also sported pink eyeshadow, matching lipstick, and a silver necklace, with her gold medal from the women’s welterweight tournament on full display. The video concludes with Khelif smiling, her curled hair cascading down.
The accompanying caption, translated from Arabic, emphasized that while Khelif was “changing her appearance,” her identity was not defined by her looks.
The message underscored that she did not conform to societal expectations, stating, “Her message is much deeper: clothes do not make a monk, and appearance does not reveal the essence of a person.”
The caption further highlighted that Khelif’s strength and strategy in the ring are where her true essence lies.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, Khelif’s new look received widespread praise, with many users defending her against the need to appear more traditionally feminine.
One user commented, “Very stunning woman. the internet owes her an apology,” while another added, “She looks absolutely gorgeous and the haters are still crying.”
Khelif’s journey to gold was not without controversy. After her victory over Yang Liu in the women’s welterweight final, she became Algeria’s first female Olympic gold medalist in boxing.
However, the event was marred by controversy following the withdrawal of Angela Carini after just 46 seconds in their round-of-16 bout, leading to an online dispute about Khelif’s gender.
Khelif was disqualified from last year’s women’s World Championships in New Delhi after failing to meet the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) eligibility criteria, although the reasons were not specified.
The IBA clarified that neither Khelif nor her fellow competitor Lin Yu-ting, who also failed the criteria, underwent testosterone testing. Despite this, both athletes were cleared to compete in the 2024 Olympics.
Khelif addressed the scrutiny during the Olympics, stating, “I’m a woman, I was born a woman, I lived a woman. There’s no doubt about that,” and expressed her determination to change perceptions worldwide.
Following her Olympic success, Khelif filed a legal complaint against the online harassment she faced, with her lawyer describing the backlash as a “misogynist, racist and sexist campaign.”
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