New details and photos from Algerian women’s boxer Imane Khelif’s past have emerged after her 46-second win over Italy’s Angela Carini on Thursday in the 2024 Olympics sparked international fervor.
Khelif is at the center of a debate regarding gender eligibility after being disqualified from the 2023 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships for elevated testosterone levels.
The 25-year-old was designated a female at birth and is labeled as such on her passport, which is why the International Olympic Committee has OK’d her boxing in the women’s division.
The photos that have come to light show Khelif, who grew up in Tiaret, a rural village in western Algeria, as reported in a profile by Unicef, alongside her presumed loved ones.
As a youngster, her path to the Olympics almost did not get off the ground as her father did not approve of boxing and she had found success as a soccer player.
However, the boys in her village “felt threatened” by her, and that helped lead her into boxing, per Unicef.
A teacher also reportedly helped push her toward boxing, according to The Sun, which cited an interview with Canal Algerie, an Algerian channel.
“I come from a conservative region and family,” Khelif said in the interview, per The Sun. “Boxing was a sport dedicated only to men.”
Not only did she have to work through her father’s disapproval, the boxing commitment came with a 10-kilometer (or 6.2 miles) trek each way.
