“Imane Khelif Strikes Back at Controversial Allegations: ‘Truth Will Prevail’ — But What Lies Behind the Accusations?”
The unverified report was shared by many media outlets and former swimmers Riley Gaines and Sharron Davies, who have openly opposed the inclusion of transgender women in female sports categories.
Khelif’s response to Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy, comes after the politician suggested it was unfair for her to box Angela Carini, the Italian athlete who withdrew from her Olympics bout against Khelif after 46 seconds.
“I know you won’t give up, Angela, and I know that one day you will earn with effort and sweat what you deserve. In a competition that is finally fair,” Meloni wrote in August.
Image credits: Rai
Carini refused to shake Khelif’s hand but later apologized to the athlete. “I have nothing against Angela Carini,” the Algerian boxer explained.
“She is a boxer, a young girl. I have nothing against the people who put pressure on her to behave that way (…) I am sure that the pressure she was subjected to led her to this behavior.
“I want to send a message to Angela. I want to tell her that she is a friend and will remain a friend, the apologies were accepted from the bottom of my heart. I wish her every success. People can make mistakes but we must learn from our mistakes.”
Khelif became the target of online attacks and faced questions about her body and gender after defeating Italian boxer Angela Carini in less than a minute at the Olympics
Image credits: Eurosport
Image credits: Eurosport
The bout sparked a wave of transphobic comments online, with high-profile figures like Donald Trump, J.K. Rowling, and Elon Musk opposing Khelif’s inclusion in the competition, misgendering the athlete on social media.
