Should Algerian Boxer Imane Khelif Be Allowed In the Olympics?

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif advanced to fight for the Olympic gold medal, adding to the continued debate on whether she should be eligible for competition.

For Context: Last week, Khelif defeated Italian Angela Carini, who surrendered after just 46 seconds, sparking controversy and biased media coverage. In 2023, Khelif was disqualified from the World Boxing Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) for failing a gender test. 

Accept All Women: Monica Hesse of The Washington Post (Lean Left bias) described the path to Khelif’s Tuesday victory as “horrible” and said she feels “badly for almost everyone involved,” especially Khelif, “who committed no infraction other than to compete in the body she was born in.” Hesse noted Khelif’s Olympic quarterfinal defeat in 2021 and claimed the IBA, which has ties to Russia, didn’t question her womanhood until she defeated Russian Azalia Amineva last year. Hesse said those bothered by Khelif’s competition are “boxing in women” by deciding “if certain female athletes get too good, then they must not be women at all.”

Biologically Male: Manhattan Institute evolutionary biologist Colin Wright, writing for The Wall Street Journal (Lean Right bias) explained several sexual development disorders and ultimately described Khelif as a biological male. Wright noted that Khelif is not transgender and claimed “the language of transgender ideology has led to widespread confusion” and criticized the International Olympic Committee for “incompetence” that is “staggering.” Wright concluded by saying that “disregarding biology in the name of ideology may get someone killed.”