A lawyer for Algerian boxer Imane Khelif says the gold medal-winning boxer has asked prosecutors in Paris to look into online harassment she faced during the Olympics about her gender and presence at the Games.
The lawyer, Nabil Boudi, said in a statement on Instagram that his firm had filed a complaint with the online hate unit of the Paris prosecutor’s office. It was not immediately clear where the complaint would lead. The Associated Press reported Sunday that under French law, it would be up to prosecutors to decide if an investigation is merited and who might be at fault.
Khelif faced a torrent of negative attention on social media after she won her first bout in the 66-kilogram (145-pound) division with an unusually swift stoppage. Her opponent, Angela Carini of Italy, quit the bout within 46 seconds after squarely taking some hard punches from Khelif, including one to the nose that left her complaining that she couldn’t properly breathe.
Khelif was assigned female at birth and the International Olympic Committee has repeatedly affirmed her qualifications to compete in a women’s division. But the knockout drew attention to a decision by the International Boxing Association last year to disqualify Khelif and another boxer, Lin Yu-ting, from its world championships….
