Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has delivered a scathing one-word verdict on Imane Khelif taking third place in the Associated Press’ Female Athlete of the Year award.
The AP’s journalists and members sparked outrage earlier this week after giving the controversial Olympics boxer third place behind Caitlin Clark and Simone Biles.
The Algerian took gold in the women’s welterweight competition at this summer’s Games in Paris.
But it sparked major controversy after the International Boxing Association said Khelif had been disqualified from last year’s World Championships for failing gender eligibility criteria.
Despite that disqualification Khelif was cleared to compete by the International Olympic Committee, who ran the Olympic boxing tournament and its entry criteria.
Her first opponent in Paris, Italian fighter Angela Carini, signaled she could not continue with their bout just 46 seconds in and said she ‘had never felt a punch like this’.
The AP sparked outrage after giving Imane Khelif third place in their Female Athlete of the Year
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova delivered a scathing one-word verdict on the decision
Despite the controversy that marred the Games, a group of 74 sports journalists from the AP and its members still voted to honor Khelif this week.
Clark received 35 votes for her stunning impact on women’s basketball in 2024, Olympic gymnast Biles was second with 25 and Khelif was third, getting four votes.
Navratilova, who has been a fierce critic of threats to women’s sports in recent months, reacted furiously on social media.
She posted: ‘Wtaf???’ – which is an acronym for ‘what the actual f***’.
That decision also sparked further outrage on social media. Responding to the news, one fan wrote: ‘This is so wrong on so many levels’.
Another commented: ‘This is pathetic. We are broken as a society!’
A third posted: ‘The world has gone mad!’
Others simply wrote ‘disgusting’ and ‘ridiculous’.
‘This is such a shame to women,’ another added.
Another user wrote: ‘What a disgrace’
Khelif is currently taking legal action over media reports that allegedly detailed her leaked medical records.
Reports published in France last month claimed the 25-year-old has XY (male) chromosomes.
Khelif filed a legal complaint with the French authorities over the online abuse and harassment she was subjected to during the Games and the IOC revealed she’s also taking action over the reports which emerged in France.
Earlier this month, Donald Trump vowed to end the ‘transgender lunacy’ in women’s sports on his return to office, underlining the issue as a priority for when he becomes President once again.
Speaking at the AmericaFest in Arizona, Trump said: ‘With a stroke of my pen on Day 1, we’re going to stop the transgender lunacy.
‘And I will sign executive orders to end child mutilation, get transgender out of the military and out of our elementary schools and middle schools and high schools.
‘And we will keep men out of women’s sports. And that will, likewise, be done on Day 1. Should I do Day 1, Day 2 or Day 3? How about Day 1?
‘Under the Trump administration, it will be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders — male and female. It doesn’t sound too complicated. Does it?’
Khelif’s first opponent in Paris, Italian fighter Angela Carini, ended their bout just 46 seconds in
Trump didn’t offer any further details in terms of what he plans to sign into law but given his inauguration in January 20, people won’t have to wait too long to find out.
Trump campaigned hard on his disdain for trans athletes competing in women’s sports, especially during the Olympics earlier this year.
He targeted Khelif, who is not transgender but was alleged to have failed a gender eligibility test and mocked her participation in the event. He said: ‘Who wants men to participate in women’s sports?
‘I would like to congratulate the young woman who has evolved from a man to a woman. He… She won gold.’
Trump referenced Khelif fighting Italian boxer Angela Carini, saying: ‘What about the woman, the beautiful woman, from Italy?
‘She went in there and had no idea what was going on. She’s a very good boxer – but only against other women.
‘He did this (acts out punch). She immediately, wow, nobody has ever hit me that hard.
‘Then he does it again and she immediately gives up.’
Earlier this month, Donald Trump vowed to end the ‘ transgender lunacy’ in women’s sports
Khelif responded to Trump’s taunts after the Olympics, saying: ‘Immediately after there was a lot of noise from politicians, athletes, stars, artists — Elon Musk and Donald Trump and that hurt me a lot, I cannot describe how scared I was.
‘This affected me. I’m not lying to you, it affected me a lot. It hurt a lot. I can’t describe the fear I had but thank God I was able to overcome it.
‘Thank god, all the people of Algeria and the Arab world knew Imane Khelif with her femininity, her courage, her will.’
