Olympic boxer Imane Khelif said the wave of hateful scrutiny she has faced over misconceptions about her gender "harms human dignity," and she called for an end to bullying athletes after being greatly affected by the international backlash against her, the AP reports. The Algerian athlete spoke about her tumultuous Olympic experience on Sunday night in an interview with SNTV, a sports video partner of the AP. "I send a message to all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes, because this has effects, massive effects," Khelif said in Arabic. "It can destroy people, it can kill people's thoughts, spirit, and mind. It can divide people. And because of that, I ask them to refrain from bullying."
The victories of Khelif and fellow boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan in the ring in Paris have become one of the biggest stories of the Paris Games. Both women have clinched their first Olympic medals even as they have faced online abuse based on unsubstantiated claims about their gender, drawing them into a wider divide over changing attitudes toward gender identity and regulations in sports. The 25-year-old Khelif acknowledged the pressure and pain of enduring this ordeal while competing far from home in the most important event of her athletic career. "I don't care about anyone's opinion," she added. "I came here for a medal, and to compete for a medal. I will certainly be competing to improve (and) be better, and God willing, I will improve, like every other athlete." (See the full interview here.)
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