Logan Paul clarifies comments over Imane Khelif after deleting social media post
Logan Paul moved to clarify his comments about Algerian Olympic boxer Imane Khelif.
Khelif made headlines on Thursday after her opponent in Paris, Angela Carini, withdrew from their round of 16 fight after just 46 seconds in an emotionally-charged moment where she claimed she had ‘never been hit so hard in her life.’
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The controversy stemmed from questions around Khelif’s participation in the boxing event after she was banned from competing at the Women's World Boxing Championship in India last year.
Khelif qualified for the gold medal match at the tournament, held by the International Boxing Association (IBA) but was excluded when organisers had found she possessed the male XY chromosome and elevated testosterone levels following a DNA test.
However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has allowed Khelif to compete at the Paris games, causing controversy among participants.
The 25-year-old has received the backing of the Algerian Olympic Committee following intense backlash.
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Youtuber-turned WWE star Paul initially weighed in on the row, labelling Khelif a ‘man beating up a woman on the global stage’ but has acknowledged this was incorrect.
In the now-deleted social media post, Paul described the bout as the 'purest form of evil unfolding right before your eyes'.
A disgruntled Paul wrote in full: "This is the purest form of evil unfolding right before your 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."
But in a sharp U-turn, Paul wrote on X: "OOPSIES! I might be guilty of spreading misinformation along with the entirety of this app.
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"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***."
Paul’s younger brother Jake Paul who also referred to Khelif as a man, made a beeline for the distraught Carini, offering her a spot on the undercard of a future event hosted by his company MVP.
Furious Ebanie Bridges is boycotting Olympics and tells IOC to ‘wake up’ in expletive rant as Angela Carini quits controversial fight with Imane Khelif
Former female batamweight champion Ebanie Bridges, meanwhile, told talkSPORT the whole thing has turned her off watching the Games.
"Wake the f*** up," she told the IOC. "Honestly. I'm all about inclusivity, but this is such a minority and it's taking away girls dreams.
"It's just not fair. Cut the woke s*** and let's be real here. Look at the science.
"You're not just XY you've actually been tested to have high testosterone… it's not fair, it's ridiculous and getting out of control.
"And don't bring it to combat sports. It's wrong for any sport."
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