Imane Khelif's victory at the Olympic Games: a celebration marked by the French left

This August 9, Imane Khelif won the gold medal in the -66 kg category in women's boxing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This victory comes after a competition marked by controversies over her gender, which cast a shadow over his journey.

Her decisive fight against the reigning world champion, the Chinese Yang Liu, took place in a highly charged atmosphere, with massive public support for the Algerian athlete. Despite the incessant attacks calling into question his legitimacy to compete, Khelif showed determination, triumphing at the end of this difficult ordeal.

The affair has its roots in her exclusion from the 2023 Boxing World Championships in New Delhi, where the International Boxing Federation (IBA) judged that she did not respect the imposed gender criteria. IBA President Umar Kremlev reiterated this position at a press conference on August 5, stating that "analyses show that Lin Yu-ting and Imane Khelif are men."

This victory was widely welcomed by several figures on the French left, who expressed their support for Khelif while criticizing the attacks against her. Sandrine Rousseau, a figure of the environmentalist left, tweeted: “We tell you, the tears of the fascists make you stronger. Well done Imane Khelif.” Aurélie Trouvé, MP for La France Insoumise-Nouvelle Union Populaire Écologique et Sociale (LFI-NUPES), also congratulated the boxer, calling her a “champion”.

For her part, Ségolène Royal, former minister and candidate for the presidency of the Republic, praised Imane Khelif's performance while denouncing persistent sexism in the world of sport. “When a man flies through competitions, we say he is an exceptional athlete. His hormones are not indicted,” she recalled, pointing out the injustice of the criticism addressed to Khelif.

Thanks to this victory, Imane Khelif offers Algeria its second gold medal of these Games, after that won by gymnast Kaylia Nemour.