Embattled Boxer Imane Khelif Accuses Female Opponent of ‘Smear Campaign’ After Backlash Over Failed Gender Test

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif accused the Italian Olympic boxing team of “trying to weaken her” by failing to reveal they’ve known of the fighter for years.

Italian boxer Angela Carini pulled out of her opening round with Khelif just 46 seconds into their match last week after the Algerian hit her with such force, she was afraid if she continued with the fight she could face serious injury.

“I have never been hit so hard in my life,” Carini said.

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Khelif has garnered intense criticism for appearing to be male, and according to the International Boxing Association, the athlete failed the chromosome test last year and therefore was not allowed to compete in the world championship tournament.

If a fighter failed chromosome tests for female boxing, that would presumably mean he has XY chromosomes as a man would.

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However, Khelif told SNTV regarding Carini, “The Italian boxer knows me well for years, as I have always gone to Italy to train as a member of the national team.”

“I trained with her and the coaches, who have known me since I was young. They used this campaign to try to weaken me,” the Algerian added.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach lashed out at critics of allowing fighters with both X and Y chromosomes to battle women, according to ESPN.

“Let’s be very clear here: We are talking about women’s boxing,” Bach said. “We have two boxers who are born as a woman, who have been raised a woman, who have a passport as a woman, and who have competed for many years as women. And this is the clear definition of a woman. There was never any doubt about them being a woman.”

“What we see now is that some want to own the definition of who is a woman,” he continued.

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“And there I can only invite them to come up with a scientific-based new definition of who is a woman, and how can somebody being born, raised, competed and having a passport as a woman cannot be considered a woman?” Bach questioned.

Multiple outlets reported that Khelif suffers from a rare medical condition known as “Differences of Sex Development.”

The Cleveland Clinic defines DSD as “conditions where a person’s reproductive organs and genitals are ‘mismatched’ at birth. Examples include male chromosomes (XY) and genitalia that appears female (vulva) or female chromosomes (XX) and genitalia that appears male (penis). Some people with DSDs have characteristics of both sexes.”

If Khelif has this condition that could explain why the female was the gender assigned at birth, based on genitalia.

Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting also failed the International Boxing Association chromosomes test and is also a finalist in women’s Olympic boxing.

Regardless, given the obvious strength and muscle mass advantages, Khelif and boxers with XY chromosomes should not be competing with XX chromosome females.

Randy DeSoto has written more than 3,000 articles for The Western Journal since he began with the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book “We Hold These Truths” and screenwriter of the political documentary “I Want Your Money.”

Birthplace

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Nationality

American

Honors/Awards

Graduated dean’s list from West Point

Education

United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law

Books Written

We Hold These Truths

Professional Memberships

Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars

Location

Phoenix, Arizona

Languages Spoken

English

Topics of Expertise

Politics, Entertainment, Faith



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