American comedian Theo Von has called on sports officials to create new categories for transgender boxers following the Olympic controversy surrounding Imane Khelif.
Algerian boxer Khelif, originally a woman, won gold in the women’s welterweight at the Paris Olympics this summer. The result was very outraged by the decision to allow her to participate.
The International Olympic Committee caused outrage when it allowed the 25-year-old to compete against women, just over a year after she was disqualified from the world championships after allegedly failing tests that showed she has male “XY chromosomes.”
Although she was expelled from that tournament, the International Boxing Federation still has to provide proof that Khelif performed an XY chromosome test. That means the IOC cleared her to compete after also cutting ties with the Russian organization.
Theo Von (left) has called on sports officials to create new categories for transgender boxers following the Olympic controversy surrounding Imane Khelif (right)
In the last episode of his YouTube podcastVon brought up the Olympics controversy in a conversation with legendary former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre.
Although the pair did not directly name Khelif, they both called for protecting women from transgender fighters who will be born male in the future by creating a new divide.
After St-Pierre called the prospect of a biological man fighting a woman “disgusting,” Von — who has 2.86 million subscribers — said: “When people are struggling with their own sexual identity and they don’t know it, [they should] create a new division so they can be there and be the pioneers of a new division. That way they become part of something new.’
St-Pierre then referred to tennis legend Serena Williams losing to a male player, before saying: ‘In tennis it’s different because it’s a game, in basketball it’s a game. But when it comes to combat sports, we have to protect women.’
Von concluded: ‘And the men must speak out for that.’
Von and Georges St-Pierre both called for new divisions in light of the Khelif drama
The Algerian boxer stormed to gold at the Olympics despite outrage over her participation in the women’s category
Khelif, who is female by birth, was kicked out of last year’s world championships after reportedly failing tests that proved she was male – although no proof was ever provided
Amid controversy over Khelif’s participation in the Olympics last month, the podcast host also wrote on X: “Dear men who play women’s sports, stop this nonsense. You know what you’re doing. DON’T DO IT BRO!!!”
The controversy surrounding Khelif reached a boiling point when she forced her Italian opponent Angela Carini to surrender after just 46 seconds of the opening match.
Carini later admitted that her decision to retire was necessary to “save my life,” after explaining that she had “never felt such a blow” as Khelif’s.
However, she later backtracked and admitted that she wanted to apologize to her opponent for reacting so bitterly to her defeat and stoking outrage online.
Khelif was the target of insults and false accusations during her Olympic glory days this summer, and her coach admitted ahead of last week’s final that it had taken its toll.
She won gold in the women’s welterweight final last week after a turbulent summer
Mohamed Chaoua said: ‘Imane is very affected by this situation. (She said) “Why me?”
“She didn’t give in to this campaign (of abuse). She gave them a lesson in ethics.”
Khelif’s coach then claimed that his fighter has worked hard to reach her level and that she is the victim of a power struggle for control of the sport. He continued to insist that, as far as he knows, the fighter is indeed a woman.