Algerians rally behind gold medal hopeful Imane Khelif amid gender misconceptions
Associated PressAIN MESBAH, Algeria — Relatives and neighbors erupted in cheers on Tuesday when Algeria’s Imane Khelif advanced to the Olympic final in women’s boxing, winning a clear unanimous decision over Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand. “Imane Khelif, the last round against hate and racism!” read a Tuesday headline in leading Algerian daily Echourouk, which described her as “an iconic figure in national sport.” Rifka, an Algerian social media influencer with 5.4 million Instagram followers, posted earlier this week showing himself traveling from Algiers to Paris to stream Khelif’s matches and reading headlines about Elon Musk’s misconceptions about Khelif’s gender. “All Algerian women and men are with you.” Khelif earlier this week said that the spread of misconceptions about her gender “harms human dignity” and, throughout the Olympics, both family members and Algeria’s leading politicians echoed that description, describing the attacks against her as misguided. A flag hangs on the wall behind the gym’s boxing ring, next to signs reading “Don’t Give Up” and “Try Again to Win.” “We tell Imane Khelif: Continue your career and pursue your dream, which is to win the gold medal,” said Yousra Messousa, a young girl who frequents the Tiaret gym. “I really hope she gets the gold medal and I have a feeling she’s going to bring it home.” ___ This story has been corrected to show that Imane Khelif has six, not five, siblings.