Growing up in a rural village in Tiaret Province, northern Algeria, Imane Khelif sold scrap metal to afford the bus fare needed to train in a nearby village.

Despite her father’s initial disapproval of women participating in boxing, Khelif remained determined and followed her passion, leading to her second Olympics appearance at the 2024 Paris Games.

However, instead of celebrating her inspirational journey, the conversation around the Algerian boxer has been overshadowed by social media abuse, cheating accusations, misinformation and misgendering.

On Thursday, Khelif advanced into the women’s 66kg quarter-final after her Italian opponent in the Round of 16 abandoned the bout 46 seconds into the fight.

ALSO READ: Why Angela Carini abandoned her bout against Imane Khelif in 46 seconds

After Khelif’s hand was raised, a teary-eyed Angela Carini fell to her knees in the ring. She claimed that she had never been punched so hard.

During the bout, Carini was seen lifting her chin, lowering her lead hand, and exposing her body, which allowed Khelif’s reach and long arms to effectively come through.

However, technicalities aside, the visuals of a devastated woman crying in the ring, her Olympic campaign cut short, are undeniably stirring. Especially in an emotionally charged online world.

They are compelling enough for the likes of author JK Rowling, UFC fighter Israel Adesanya, tennis star Andrey Rublev, coach Judy Murray, and YouTubers Jake and Logan Paul to come in support of Carini.

Elon Musk, the owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, amplified a tweet from swimmer Riley Gaines stating that “men don’t belong in women’s sports”.

They see this as a case of a man beating a woman in the ring. Except, it is not.

Khelif is neither biologically male nor has identified as a transgender person. In fact, by virtue of being a resident of an Islamic country like Algeria which does not acknowledge LGBTQ+ rights, she cannot transition into a man legally.

She is also not a cheat. Her boxing record establishes that she has lost to several female boxers, including in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics quarter-finals. She has nine losses and only 13.51% of her wins are via knock outs.

The International Olympic Committee – the body responsible for organising the Olympics – insists that all boxers meet the eligibility criteria set out by them. But earlier results of an unspecified gender eligibility test conducted by the International Boxing Association concluded that Khelif had XY chromosomes.

The boxing association confirmed that they did not conduct a test to check testosterone levels but due to the XY chromosomes, Khelif had been disqualified before her gold medal bout at the 2023 IBA World Championships in New Delhi.

The presence of XY chromosomes may indicate a Disorder of Sex Development, or DSD. But without clear information on the methods used by the IBA, Khelif cannot be presumptively diagnosed as male just because her physical features or frame seemingly do not conform to conventional feminine standards.

This is not the first time that governing bodies, fellow athletes and viewers have tried to determine who qualifies as a woman, basing their judgments on traits and qualities that are historically linked to femininity or womanhood.

From the 1960s to the 1990s, sports governing bodies such as the International Olympic Committee, or IOC, conducted chromosomal testing on female athletes whose gender seemed “suspicious.”

Just last week in Paris, American rugby star and bronze medalist Ilona Maher addressed comments accusing her of being a man due to her broad shoulders and muscular physique. Multiple swimming world-record holder and gold medalist Katie Ledecky was subjected to similar abuse online.

In the past, tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams have long been targeted by conspiracy theories alleging they were born as men, based solely on their muscular physique and remarkable dominance in the sport.

Similarly, Olympic runner Caster Semenya had endured intense scrutiny over her gender and was even mandated by a court order to take testosterone-suppressing drugs to lower her natural testosterone levels in order to continue competing.

Indian sprinter Dutee Chand’s case also brought significant attention to issues surrounding gender and hormone levels in sports.

None of the above mentioned females are transgender. They are biological females.

The current discourse involving Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu Ting may appear to be aimed at protecting women, but it is proving counterproductive and leads to increased micro-aggressions that ultimately harm more women.

Beyond issues of transphobia, it also results in females who do not fit conventional stereotypes being labeled as male, abused online or arbitrarily denied opportunities without due process.

For many athletes, not conforming to these arbitrary gender norms generates a whirlwind of bigotry, harassment, and abuse like it has for Khelif and so many others in the past.

There is no consideration given to Khelif’s life in Algeria, where she could face harassment and threats to her safety if these speculations turn out to be true or if this is simply a case of DSD, Swyer Syndrome or hyperandrogenism in a biological female.

In essence, Eurocentric, biological determinist standards continue to be enforced, putting all women who do not or cannot conform at risk.

Furthermore, tweets like those from Rowling shift focus away from male violence against women, directing it instead toward a doubly marginalized group of women who are also systematically affected by such violence.

In the same Olympic Games where Khelif has been abused, Dutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde, who was convicted in 2016 for the rape of a 12-year-old girl, is currently competing.

In contrast, Bruce Mwape, the coach of Zambia’s women’s football team, is barred from having personal contact with the players but continues to coach the team during the ongoing investigation.

Even tennis player Alexander Zverev, who in June settled a domestic abuse lawsuit outside of court, was competing as the defending champion.

Khelif and Lin are not the first and certainly will not be the last non-normative women in sport. But when it comes to dealing with issues of sex and gender in sports, the assaultive public opinion and rigid gender norms paint a grim picture even in 2024.

On Friday, Carini appeared to have a change of heart, apologizing to Khelif and expressing a desire to embrace her when they meet again.

However, in a polarised world where misinformation and hate spread like wildfire, the damage was already done.