TIARET, Algeria — Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif was greeted by a crowd of fans upon her arrival in her hometown on Friday. She praised Algeria for supporting its athletes and said she hoped to continue to make her country proud.
The football-mad North African country has treated Khelif like a celebrity since her return to Algiers earlier this week. Nowhere was this more evident than in Tiaret, the largely rural region in central Algeria where she grew up and learned to box.
She and athletics star Djamel Sedjati were honored by local politicians and then driven through the streets on a city bus while hundreds of residents raised their hands and took photos.
“All Algerian men and women have the right to be happy and to celebrate,” she told reporters at a local government office on Friday. “This proves that the government and the people are behind the sport.”
Algerians vigorously defended Khelif as she advanced to the Olympics despite international scrutiny and uninformed speculation about her gender.
Although she was born and raised as a woman, she found herself in the crosshairs of Western debates about gender, sex and sport after failing unspecified and non-transparent eligibility tests to participate in women’s competitions of the now-banned International Boxing Federation in 2023.
With observers such as billionaire Elon Musk, author JK Rowling and former US President Donald Trump referring to her as a man in online posts, Algerians perceived the controversy as an attack on their nation.
On Friday, residents of Tiaret acknowledged the hardships Khelif faced during the Olympics and expressed hope that her success was just the beginning.
“We hope that the authorities will support her in moments of victory like this and throughout the year. She has suffered enormously and started from scratch,” said Mohamed Hamou, who was sitting next to Khelif in Tiaret on Friday afternoon.
Later in the parade, Nadjia Fehma, another Tiaret resident, rejoiced at her victory and said she was an inspiration.
“She has really made us proud, especially given her career path and her success,” said Fehma.
Khelif’s welcome back to her hometown came days after she filed a criminal complaint in France for cyberbullying, with her lawyer accusing her of a “misogynistic, racist and sexist campaign” throughout the Olympics.
On Wednesday, Khelif confessed that she had felt difficulties and fears at El Bilad, a private television station in Algeria. She said no one had the right to question her gender and that she was not someone who liked to mix politics and sports.
“Why was there such an outcry around the world?” she asked. “I was afraid, but thank God I was able to overcome it.”
