Logan Paul is clarifying his comments on Algerian Olympic boxer Imane Khelif, admitting he might’ve jumped the gun in criticizing Olympic officials … while still making it crystal clear he believes biological men should never compete against biological women.
ICYMI, Khelif won her opening-round contest against Angela Carini … after the Italian boxer threw in the proverbial towel after 46 seconds.
Prior to this bout, it was revealed that Imane failed an undisclosed gender test in 2023, which made her ineligible for World Championships.
The exact nature of the test or the results aren’t clear, but reports indicate Imane had elevated testosterone levels. Various news articles also suggest Khelif has XY chromosomes, typically found in males, as opposed to XX.
Paul — along with a bunch of other celebs and athletes — quickly jumped into the fray, blasting the Olympic committee for allowing this to happen … with LP calling it “the purest form of evil.”
Of course, many took this to be the most egregious example of a biological man competing against women.
But, turns out that might not actually be the case … Khelif, according to reports, was in fact born female.
Paul deleted his initial post, and released a new statement — acknowledging that he might’ve unintentionally spread misinformation.
“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.”
‼️ OOPSIES ‼️
I might be guilty of spreading misinformation along with the entirety of this app
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… https://t.co/oVfWARylCJ pic.twitter.com/S2QvHPHwWg
— Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) August 1, 2024 @LoganPaul
Paul didn’t totally abandon his initial stance. The WWE SuperStar is adamant about one thing … “Biological men should not compete against biological women in any sport.”
And, Logan wasn’t the only one modifying their position … TMZ Sports spoke with two-time Olympic gold medal-winning boxer Claressa Shields, who also apologized for initially labeling Khelif as “transgender.”
TMZSports.com
The International Olympic Committee is standing firm in its decision to let Imane and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting take part in the games … saying they’ve been fighting in the women’s division for many years.
Khelif will be in action again on Saturday … so, this story is far from over.
