Paris, August 11, 2024 — Imane Khelif, the Algerian boxer who won gold in the women’s welterweight division at the Paris Olympics, has filed a legal complaint about online harassment, her lawyer said on Saturday.
Khelif’s win over China’s Yang Liu on Friday was marred by controversy over a gender dispute involving her and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting. This issue has stirred debate and anger on social media.
Khelif’s lawyer, Nabil Boudi, revealed that the complaint was made on Friday. “What is being said about me online is wrong. I want to change people’s minds around the world,” Khelif said on Saturday.
At 25 years old, Khelif is the first Algerian woman to win an Olympic boxing gold medal. She is also the first Algerian boxer to win gold since Hocine Soltani in 1996. Women’s boxing has been in the Olympics since 2012.
“I’ve worked for eight years for this dream. I’m very happy to be an Olympic champion,” Khelif said. She thanked her supporters, including people from Algeria and Paris, for their encouragement.
