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Imane Khelif Files Legal Complaint for Online Harassment Against Her

Algeria's Imane Khelif reacts after beating China's Yang Liu (Blue) in the women's 66kg final boxing match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Roland-Garros Stadium, in Paris on August 9, 2024. (Photo by MOHD RASFAN / AFP)
Algeria's Imane Khelif reacts after beating China's Yang Liu (Blue) in the women's 66kg final boxing match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Roland-Garros Stadium, in Paris on August 9, 2024. (Photo by MOHD RASFAN / AFP)
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Imane Khelif Files Legal Complaint for Online Harassment Against Her

Algeria's Imane Khelif reacts after beating China's Yang Liu (Blue) in the women's 66kg final boxing match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Roland-Garros Stadium, in Paris on August 9, 2024. (Photo by MOHD RASFAN / AFP)
Algeria's Imane Khelif reacts after beating China's Yang Liu (Blue) in the women's 66kg final boxing match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Roland-Garros Stadium, in Paris on August 9, 2024. (Photo by MOHD RASFAN / AFP)

Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif has filed a legal complaint in France for online harassment after a rain of criticism and false claims about her sex during the Paris Olympics, her lawyer said Sunday.

Khelif, who will be Algeria's flag bearer in the closing ceremony, won gold Friday in the women’s welterweight division, becoming a new hero in her native Algeria and bringing global attention to women's boxing.

The complaint was filed Friday with a special unit in the Paris prosecutor’s office for combating online hate speech, alleging “aggravated cyber-harassment” targeting Khelif, lawyer Nabil Boudi said. In a statement, he described it as a “misogynist, racist and sexist campaign” against the boxer.

The Associated Press said it is now up to prosecutors to decide whether to open an investigation. As is common in French law, the complaint doesn’t name an alleged perpetrator but leaves it to investigators to determine who could be at fault.

Khelif was unwittingly thrust into a worldwide clash over gender identity and regulation in sports after her first fight, when Italian opponent Angela Carini pulled out just seconds into the match, citing pain from opening punches. False claims that Khelif was transgender or a man erupted online, and the International Olympic Committee defended her and denounced those peddling misinformation. Khelif said that the spread of misconceptions about her “harms human dignity.”

Earlier, Kirsty Burrows, an official in charge of the IOC's unit for safeguarding and mental health, filed a complaint with French authorities saying she received death threats and harassment online following a news conference in Paris at which she had spoken in defense of Khelif.

The Paris prosecutor’s office said it received Burrows' complaint on Aug. 4 and agents from the National Unit for the Fight against Online Hate are investigating the alleged offenses, including death threats, public provocations aimed at attacking a person and cyberbullying. Under French law, the crimes, if proven, carry prison sentences that range from two to five years and fines ranging from 30,000 to 45,000 euros.

The Olympics-banned International Boxing Association disqualified Khelif and fellow boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan from the world championships last year, claiming the two fighters failed unspecified eligibility tests for women’s competition. The IOC has called the arbitrary sex tests that the sport’s governing body imposed on the two women irretrievably flawed and has defended both boxers since the start of the Paris Games.

Experts say the scrutiny of Khelif and Lin reflected disproportionate scrutiny and discrimination toward female athletes of color when it comes to sex testing and false claims that they are male or transgender.

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Netherlands' Sifan Hassan Wins Women's Marathon at Paris Olympics

Netherlands' gold medallist Sifan Hassan celebrates after crossing the finish in first place in the women's marathon of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at The Invalides in Paris on August 11, 2024. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP)
Netherlands' gold medallist Sifan Hassan celebrates after crossing the finish in first place in the women's marathon of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at The Invalides in Paris on August 11, 2024. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP)
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Netherlands' Sifan Hassan Wins Women's Marathon at Paris Olympics

Netherlands' gold medallist Sifan Hassan celebrates after crossing the finish in first place in the women's marathon of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at The Invalides in Paris on August 11, 2024. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP)
Netherlands' gold medallist Sifan Hassan celebrates after crossing the finish in first place in the women's marathon of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at The Invalides in Paris on August 11, 2024. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP)

Sifan Hassan traded elbows with Tigst Assefa with 150 meters left in the women’s marathon, then passed her along the railing to win the race for her third distance medal of the Paris Games on Sunday.
Hassan, an Ethiopian-born racer who runs for the Netherlands, finished in an Olympic record time of 2 hours, 22 minutes, 55 seconds. Assefa won silver for Ethiopia, and Kenya’s Hellen Obiri took the bronze, The Associated Press reported.
The 31-year-old Hassan also won bronze in the 5,000 and 10,000. By simply completing the marathon, she ran more than 62 kilometers. She now has six Olympic medals. In Tokyo, Hassan won the 5,000 and 10,000 and finished third in the 1,500.
Breaking from tradition, the women’s Olympic marathon was held on the final day instead of the men’s race.
Hassan used the same tactic in the hilly, 26.2-mile course as she does on the oval. She lingered behind the leaders for the bulk of the race before summoning up the energy for a late-race kick that will go down as one of the best the sport has seen.
This one, amazingly, had more the look of a crowded race on the oval down the stretch. As Hassan gathered to make her last pass, Assefa tried to block her path. Hassan moved to the inside around a bend.
Assefa tried to squeeze her against the barrier separating the course from the cheering fans. The runners traded elbows, then Hassan took off past Assefa and sprinted in for the win.
Hassan raced in the 5,000 meters last Monday and the 10,000 meters on Friday — giving her roughly 35 hours to recover for the marathon.
She entered the Games looking to match Emil Zatopek's performance from 1952, when the Czech runner swept the 5,000, 10,000 and the marathon at the Helsinki Games.
She didn’t manage to accomplish the feat, but she leaves with a gleaming gold medal.
Sharon Lokedi of Kenya was fourth and defending champion Peres Jepchirchir, her compatriot, placed 15th.
After 21 miles (almost 34 kilometers), Jepchirchir started falling back. That’s when Hassan and Obiri — a two-time Olympic silver medalist in the 5,000 meters — joined Amane Beriso Shankule and Lokedi at the front.
Shankule dropped off the pace near the end, making it a four-way race for gold, which became three when Lokedi fell back on the approach to the finish opposite the gold-domed Invalides monument, site of French emperor Napoleon’s tomb.
Women have competed in the discipline since the 1984 Los Angeles Games — which was 88 years after Greek runner Spiridon Louis won the inaugural men’s race.
The marathon route has significance, too, in that it traces the footsteps of an historic march that took place during the French Revolution.
The Women’s March on Versailles in 1789 was organized by women in the marketplace of Paris as they protested the high price of bread, leading to their trek from Paris to Versailles.
Starting out from Hôtel de Ville (City Hall), the route passed through the parks and forests dotted along the way. Despite its scenic aspect, the somewhat hilly route was billed as extremely difficult with inclines as steep as 13%.
Under blue skies, runners took in landmarks such as Opéra Garnier and the Louvre museum. About halfway through, they passed near the regal grounds of the Palace of Versailles — once the home of French royalty — before doubling back through Meudon forest toward Paris and past the Eiffel Tower.
After about 18 miles (29 kilometers) the runners tackled a steep hill, and downhill was tricky as well. They held their arms up for balance to prevent toppling forward. Japan’s Yuka Suzuki almost tumbled into a runner right in front of her.
Suzuki finished sixth behind Shankule.