Imane Khelif has been at the center of controversy even after the International Olympic Association clarified the situation. Recently, renowned author JK Rowling has launched a series of scathing criticisms at the Paris Olympics. This lash-out from the renowned author followed Khelif’s advancement to the gold medal match.
Khelif secured a spot in the final bout by defeating Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng in the semi-finals. With that win, she will face China’s Liu Yang in the gold medal bout. Meanwhile, JK Rowling has strongly criticized the IOC’s decision regarding Khelif’s participation, sparking further debate and attention.
For the record, bombarding me with pictures of athletic women to 'teach' me that women don’t all look like Barbie is like spamming me with pics of differently-shaped potatoes to prove rocks are edible.JK Rowling via X
Rowling has opposed this decision to allow Khelif to compete in the 66kg women’s division since last week. She has further debated on the matter that although athletic women look quite different, one can still figure out who is actually a male or female. Rowling further states that she can still see the difference between Khelif and other boxers.
Khelif’s participation has been the subject of global debate due to the fact she was banned from the world championships. She was helmed by the IBA last year for failing a gender eligibility test. The Russian-backed boxing body refused to allow Khelif and Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu-ting to compete last year. The IBA claimed to find the XY chromosome in their tests.
For the record, bombarding me with pictures of athletic women to ‘teach’ me that women don’t all look like Barbie is like spamming me with pics of differently-shaped potatoes to prove rocks are edible. I can still see the difference and you look frankly bonkers.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 7, 2024Interestingly, the IOC’s eligibility tests aren’t the same as the IBA’s. The organization overseeing the boxing at the Paris Olympic Games allowed both the boxers to compete. However, Khelif hasn’t let the outside noise dampen her spirits at the games. Meanwhile, Rowling hasn’t kept her calm since Khelif has advanced to the finals.
JK Rowling and her continued protest against Imane Khelif
The Paris Olympic Games started with a lot of controversies surrounding it. However, almost every other controversy seemed to have faded away except the Algerian boxer Imane Khelif’s one. Although some did acknowledge that they were at fault for misunderstanding Khelif’s gender, some are still lashing out against the boxer. One such person is renowned author JK Rowling.
JK Rowling has never shown any reluctance to participate in the women’s rights debate. She has been one of the standout personalities opposing this ongoing controversy at the Olympic Games. Interestingly, this matter took the world’s notice when Imane Khelif forced Italy’s Angela Carini to quit in their preliminary round. Since then, it has created much buzz and discussion.
Commentators pretending critics of the IOC’s reliance on documents rather than sex testing think Khelif is trans are straw-manning. I don’t claim Khelif is trans. My objection, and that of many others, is to male violence against women becoming an Olympic sport. https://t.co/DtsXy61QBR
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 7, 2024Even after the IOC’s official clarification statement, this buzzing topic has yet to fade away. However, as of now, Khelif has cleared her intentions of being focused on winning the gold amidst these noises. Now, it remains to be seen how the Algerian boxer performs in her gold medal bout against a formidable Chinese opponent, Yang Liu.
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