The 2024 Paris Olympics has been a subject of major controversy for many reasons, the most recent controversy being about Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. After Khelif beat Italian boxer Angela Carini in the women’s boxing tournament, the internet went wild, causing the rampant spread of rumours. Many social media users started spreading a rumour claiming that Khelif is a transgender woman and, therefore, Carini was unfairly competing against a ‘man’. Not only was this rumour extremely transphobic, but it was also incorrect. Khelif was assigned female at birth and has identified as a woman for all her life, not to mention transitioning in Algeria is illegal.
Despite this information being easily accessible, Western media outlets still reported the same lies that were spewed on social media, emphasising the role that media outlets play in villainising women of colour. This is not the first time that an incident like this has happened. South Africa’s very own Caster Semenya was once a victim of the same accusations made by the media. This controversy indicates that media outlets continue to create misogynist and racist narratives despite knowing better.
When the white male athlete, Michael Phelps, is proven to have a major biological advantage, he is celebrated in the media, but when black women possess so-called ‘advantages’, it’s declared unfair. The heart of competitive sports lies in advantages and disadvantages. This is what makes competitive sports interesting to its patrons. If all athletes had the same level of advantages, physical or biological, there would never be a winner. This indicates that the media does not care about whether athletes have an up over one another; their only issue is seeing a black African woman be declared a winner.
The most saddening part about this controversy is that it belittles Khelif’s accomplishments as a strong African woman. Khelif has spoken about the misogyny that she received in her own village for choosing to participate in boxing. When speaking in an interview, she said that people found it difficult to see a woman participating in a sport traditionally catered towards men. Khelif also spoke about how her father initially did not agree with his daughter practising boxing, but now he is one of her biggest supporters. Khelif has a beautiful life story that speaks about determination and perseverance and is ultimately a story of intersectional feminism. Instead of portraying this incredible story, media outlets continue to produce misogynoir narratives. Media outlets need to be held responsible for these defaming stories, because if not, black women will never be celebrated as the true winners that they are.