American influencer Logan Paul admitted to "spreading misinformation" on social media, calling Algerian Olympic boxer Image Khelif a man in a deleted X post.
The influencer shared his thoughts across his 6.8 million followers on X after the Algerian boxer won against Italian boxer Angela Carini.
Logan Paul Removes Misinformation Post Against Algerian Olympic Boxer
In a deleted X post, Paul stated "This is the purest form of evil unfolding right before our eyes. A man was allowed to beat up a woman on a global stage, crushing her life's dream while fighting for her deceased father. This delusion must end."
Khelif's victory was tainted with controversy after several people protested against her advancing to the competition after defeating Carini at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Misinformation quickly spread online, accusing the boxer of being a transgender man who hit a woman.
The Algerian boxer is not transgender and does not identify as intersex. Khelif was assigned female at birth, and it is also stated in her passport that she is female.
Paul has since retracted his statement and admitted to contributing to spreading misinformation about the issue.
Olympics Committee Addresses Concerns on Khelif's Qualifications
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued a joint statement clarifying that all athletes in the boxing tournament adhered to the competition's eligibility and entry regulations, including medical qualifications.
The IOC also stated that the two athletes, who are in question for their sexuality, are only victims of a "sudden and arbitrary decision by the International Boxing Association." Both athletes were suddenly disqualified in the world championships in 2023 without any due process.
"The current aggression against these two athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision, which was taken without any proper procedure - especially considering that these athletes had been competing in top-level competition for many years," the IOC added.
The committee has called out against eligibility rules changes during ongoing competition.
