Imane Khelif won Olympic gold and responded to Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s comments about her gender, emphasizing her pride as a female athlete.
Imane Khelif, the talented boxer from Algeria, recently made headlines after winning a gold medal at the Olympics in Paris.
Her victory was celebrated by fans and supporters worldwide.
However, the excitement was overshadowed by a controversial comment from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who referred to Khelif as a man following her win.
This statement sparked significant backlash on social media.
Donald Jump called Imane Khelif is a man
Imane Khelif, the 25-year-old Algerian boxer, won the gold medal in the women’s featherweight division at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
She has issued a scathing rebuke of former US President Donald Trump’s transphobic remarks made after her historic victory.
At a campaign rally in Montana last Friday, Trump mocked Khelif, incorrectly referring to her as a transgender athlete who “transitioned from a man into a boxer.”
The former president went on to say, “She won the gold medal. Wow. That’s incredible. I’d like to congratulate the young woman.”
Elon Musk mocked Khelif on his Twitter account
At the point of controversy, the CEO of Tesla also spoke out about the Olympic champion, Imane Khelif.
Musk shared a post by American swimmer Riley Gaines, stating, “Men don’t belong in women’s sports.”
Musk’s post echoed a growing sentiment among some individuals who believe that transgender women should not compete in women’s sports.
His comment sparked further debate about gender inclusion in sports.
Imane Khelif claps back at Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s comment regarding her gender after Olympic gold win
In an interview with Algerian news outlet El Birad, Khelif expressed her outrage at Trump’s comments.
She described them as deeply hurtful and disrespectful to her, her family, her country, and women across the Arab world.
“Immediately after [my win], there was a lot of noise from politicians, athletes, stars, artists — Elon Musk and Donald Trump, and that hurt me a lot.
“I cannot describe how scared I was,” Khelif said.
“This affected me. I’m not lying to you, it affected me a lot. It hurt a lot.
“I can’t describe the fear I had, but thank God I was able to overcome it,” Khelif expressed.
The Algerian champion emphasized that she is a proud Muslim woman.
She stated that Trump and others have no right to question or undermine her identity and gender.
“This is a big shame for my family, for the honor of my family, for the honor of Algeria, for the women of Algeria and especially the Arab world.
“The whole world knows I am a Muslim girl,” the Olympic champion emphasized.
Olympic championship Imane Khelif filed a complaint against cyber bullies.
Khelif’s comments come after she filed a cyberbullying lawsuit in France, which reportedly names both Elon Musk and JK Rowling as defendants.
The lawsuit is believed to be a response to the intense scrutiny Khelif faced regarding her gender and eligibility to compete in the women’s division.
She received significant criticism leading up to the Olympics.
“Sports and politics are two separate things.
These politicians who are oppressing me, they don’t have the right to say I am transgender,” Khelif stated firmly.
“I don’t like to get into politics in sports, but they got politics into sport.”
Social media reaction
The Olympic champion’s defiant stance has won her widespread praise and support from fans and fellow athletes around the world.
Many have applauded Khelif for her courage in standing up to Trump’s hateful rhetoric.
She uses her platform to advocate for the rights and dignity of women, especially in Muslim and Arab communities.
You had the last laugh girl! She got the job done, and made the haters cry. If you don’t like it , go tweet about it, one user stated.
Absolutely everything shows that he is a man…in my opinion he did not deserve the medal fighting against women, the second user commented.
She is an amazing and strong woman. She will have the last laugh when all those who made fun of her are sued or in jail. She’s beautiful and deserved to win, the third user defended Khelif.
Everyone around the world call her a man, someone wrote.