YouTube celebrity turned professional boxer Jake Paul has walked back his previous comments about Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who is currently competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
On Thursday (August 1), Khalif’s opponent, Italy’s Angela Carin, was 46 seconds behind in the race. Rumors spread that Khalif was actually a transgender man competing in women’s sports. Conservatives including Donald Trump, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni quickly followed suit, expressing their outrage on social media.
Is there an image that better sums up our new men’s rights movement? The smirk of a man who, knowing he is protected by a misogynistic sports establishment, enjoys the pain of a woman he has just punched in the head and whose life ambitions he has crushed. #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/Q5SbKiksXQ
— JK Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 1, 2024
Paul chimed in, saying: “This is the purest form of evil on display before your eyes. A man was allowed to assault a woman on a global stage, shattering her lifelong dreams while fighting for her late father.” This delusion must end.
But shortly after Khalif’s childhood photos began circulating, showing she was born a girl, Paul posted another tweet.
“Ouch!” he began. “I’m probably guilty of spreading misinformation throughout the app. Although she was previously disqualified for failing a “gender test” and has XY chromosomes, some sources claim Iman Khalif was born Women. I stand by my opinion that biological males should not compete against biological females in any sport and if you disagree then you are a sick asshole.
Oh My God!
I might be guilty of spreading misinformation along with the entire app
Although she was previously disqualified for failing a “gender test” and having XY chromosomes, some sources claim that Iman Khalif was born female
I stand by my opinion… https://t.co/oVfWARylCJ pic.twitter.com/S2QvHPHwWg
— Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) August 1, 2024
Khalif was disqualified from the 2023 world championships after failing to pass the now-banned International Boxing Association’s (IBA) unspecified and opaque qualifying test for women’s competitions. She was assigned female at birth and her passport states this, which is the International Olympic Committee (IOC) threshold for boxing eligibility.
Khalif and Carini exchanged a few brisk punches before Carini threw in the towel, a rarity in Olympic boxing. After the exchange, Carini did not shake Khalif’s hand but cried and fell to his knees in the ring.
Her actions sparked a discussion outside Paris about whether Khalif should be allowed to compete after failing the IBA’s unspecified gender eligibility test. The International Olympic Committee has repeatedly defended Kelf’s right to compete this week.
Giovanni Marago, president of the Italian Olympic Committee, said: “While we asked for certainty and guarantees, both for the safety of our athletes and for the normal conduct of the competition, they have confirmed that (Khalif) is within these limits. .
Kalini later said she withdrew because of pain from Khalif’s punches, adding that her nose later bled.
“My face and nose hurt,” Carini said. “I couldn’t breathe. I thought about my family and I looked at my brothers in the stands and went to my corner and retired. … I’ve never been punched so hard.
Of course, social media remains divided, with some labeling it as another example of misogyny, racism and transphobia. Others still believe Khalif should not be allowed to compete due to previously detected high testosterone levels.
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