Imane Khelif facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Imane Khelif |
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Khelif at the 2024 ceremony in Algeria
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| Height | 1.78 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 2 May 1999 Aïn Sidi Ali, Laghouat, Algeria |
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| Stance | Orthodox | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Imane Khelif (born May 2, 1999) is a talented boxer from Algeria. She is famous for winning the gold medal in women's boxing at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
During the 2024 Olympic Games, some false information spread online about her right to compete. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that Khelif was allowed to compete. They said that she was born female and has always lived as a female. The IOC also stated that a previous decision to disqualify her by another boxing group was unfair.
Early Life and Boxing Journey
Imane Khelif was born in Aïn Sidi Ali, Algeria. When she was just two months old, her family moved to Biban Mesbah, a small village. This is where she grew up.
Discovering a Passion for Sports
Imane loved sports from a young age. Her father shared that she started loving sports when she was six years old. She first played football. Later, she decided to switch to boxing.
Overcoming Challenges to Train
In her early years, Imane faced challenges to train. She had to travel to Tiaret for her boxing sessions. To pay for the bus fare, she would sell bread and scrap metal. Her father was not sure about her boxing at first. He did not approve of girls boxing. But Imane was determined.
Boxing Career Highlights
2018–2021: Starting Her Olympic Dream
Imane Khelif began her international boxing career in 2018. She competed in the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships in both 2018 and 2019. In these early tournaments, she was eliminated in the first round.
In March 2021, she won a gold medal. This was at the Istanbul Bosphorus International Boxing Tournament. She beat Anastasia Belyakova in the final.
Khelif made history at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She was the first female boxer to represent Algeria at the Olympics. She reached the quarterfinals in the women's lightweight event. There, she was defeated by Kellie Harrington from Ireland.
2022: Big Wins and a World Championship Final
The year 2022 was very successful for Imane. In February, she won a gold medal at the Strandja Memorial Tournament. She defeated Nataliya Sychugova in the final.
She was chosen to carry Algeria's flag at the 2022 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships. At this event, she became the first Algerian female boxer to reach the final. She won her semifinal match against Chelsey Heijnen. In the final, she finished as the runner-up after losing to Amy Broadhurst.
Later in 2022, Imane continued her winning streak. She won gold medals at the Mediterranean Games and the African Amateur Boxing Championships.
2023: Disqualification and Comeback
In March 2023, Imane Khelif was set to fight for a gold medal. This was at the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships. However, she was disqualified right before her final match. This decision came from the International Boxing Association (IBA). They claimed she failed some eligibility tests.
The Algerian Olympic Committee stated that her disqualification was for medical reasons. Later, Imane said she was the victim of a "big conspiracy." She tried to appeal the decision but could not pay the costs. After this, she got her own independent tests to clear her name.
Despite the disqualification, Imane continued to box. In July 2023, she won a gold medal at the Arab Games. In November 2023, she decided to become a professional boxer. Her first professional fight took place in Singapore.
2024: Olympic Gold Medal Victory
In January 2024, Imane Khelif became a national ambassador for UNICEF. In April, she won the women's 66 kg event at the World Boxing Cup in the U.S.
The IBA's right to manage Olympic boxing was taken away in June 2023. This was due to problems with how they were run. Because of this, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) managed the boxing events for the 2024 Summer Olympics. The IOC confirmed that Khelif met all rules to compete in Paris. They stated she was born female and has always lived as a female.
Journey to Gold in Paris
Khelif was ranked fifth in the women's 66kg event. She won her quarterfinal match on August 3. She then won her semifinal match on August 6. This guaranteed her at least a silver medal. On August 9, she defeated Yang Liu from China in the final. This win earned her the gold medal!
Imane Khelif became the first Algerian female boxer to win an Olympic gold medal. She was also the first Algerian boxer of any gender to win a medal since 2000. Her gold medal was the first for Algeria in boxing since 1996.
Facing Online Challenges
After her victory, Imane faced a lot of public attention. She was targeted by online abuse and false claims. People falsely said she was a man. Khelif said this backlash "harms human dignity." She asked for an end to the bullying of athletes. She also filed a legal complaint against Twitter because of the online harassment.
Second-Round Fight Against Angela Carini
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As a top-ranked boxer, Khelif got a bye to the second round. In her second-round fight on August 1, she defeated Angela Carini from Italy. Carini withdrew from the match after 46 seconds due to pain. After this fight, Khelif received more online criticism about her gender.
The next day, Carini apologized to Khelif. She said she was sorry for the controversy. She added that if the IOC said Khelif could fight, she respected that decision. The Algerian Olympic Committee defended Khelif. They called the online attacks "baseless propaganda."
Imane's father also spoke out. He said, "My child is a girl. She was raised as a girl. She's a strong girl." The IOC President, Thomas Bach, also defended Khelif. He said there was "never any doubt about them being a woman." He also spoke against the hate speech directed at her.
Images for kids
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Khelif at the 2024 ceremony in Algeria
See also
In Spanish: Imane Khelif para niños
