Logan Paul admits he was spreading ‘misinformation’ about Imane Khelif: ‘OOPSIES’
Logan Paul admits to spreading misinformation about Olympic boxer Imane Khelif, sparking a heated debate on gender in sports.
Logan Paul has recently admitted he “might be guilty” of spreading “misinformation” about boxer Imane Khelif.
Paul maintains his controversial views on biology in sports, stating, “if you disagree you’re a sick fuck.”
Paul's retraction came in response to significant backlash over a previous claim he made about boxing at the Olympics.
On August 1, Paul misgendered Imane Khelif in a post, referring to her as a man who was “allowed to beat up a woman on a global stage.”
“A man was allowed to beat up a woman on a global stage, crushing her life's dream while fighting for her deceased father,” he wrote.
After facing criticism for his comments, Paul deleted the original tweet. And posted the recent one saying, “Although she’s been previously disqualified for failing a “gender test” and has XY chromosomes, some sources say Imane Khelif was born a biological woman.”
“I stand by my sentiment that biological men should not compete against biological women in any sport and if you disagree you’re a sick f**k.”
Paul’s original tweet, which described the 2024 Paris Olympics match as “the purest form of evil,” echoed the same sentiment like former President Donald Trump, who vowed to “keep men out of women’s sports,” and Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, who called Khelif a male and described the match as a “brutal injustice.”
Khelif insists allegations are part of a large conspiracy
However, there is no concrete evidence to support the claim that Imane Khelif, who has previously competed in the Olympics as a woman, is biologically male, intersex, or transgender.
During the 2023 Women’s World Boxing Championships, both Khelif and boxer Lin Yu-Ting failed to meet gender eligibility tests, allegedly due to XY chromosomes.
Khelif has since responded to these allegations, insisting they are part of a conspiracy.
International Boxing Association chairman Umar Kremlev later explained to journalists that Khelif has XY chromosomes; still, the organization is not ready for the use of female athletes’ blood samples for testing the levels of testosterone.
On the other hand, the exclusions in the 2023 Championships were as a result of high testosterone and this is a condition that is precipitated by hyperandrogenism. This condition is prevalent in many women for different reasons.
Prior to the 2024 boxing event, Khelif’s test did not indicate higher levels of testosterone, and regardless of what was rumoured on social media, the Paris Boxing Unit considered Khelif eligible for an Olympic bid.