Two weeks of online abuse have caused Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelfi of Algeria to take legal action.
The fighter was mistakenly questioned about her eligibility during the Paris Olympics after her opponent, Angela Carini, quit during their first round match.
Khelfi won Algeria’s first Olympic boxing medal after defeating China’s Yang Liu.
A Taiwanese boxer known as Lin Yu-ting also faced scrutiny before securing a gold medal at the same event.
Both were disqualified from the competition due to irregularities.
Despite the International Boxing Association’s claims that the boxers were not eligible to fight, they still faced criticism and speculation online.
The organization also had difficulty defending its statements since the athletes reappeared at the Olympics.
A lawyer for Khelfi has filed a legal complaint against the individuals behind the online harassment.
In a statement, her lawyer said that the boxer would fight against the harassment she has experienced.
He also stated that the investigation should focus on those who carried out the campaign of racial and misogynistic abuse.
Lin was asked about the harassment after she won a gold medal. She said that she would consider following in Khelif’s footsteps.
She noted that she would talk to her team about the next step.
After her match against Angela Carini, Khelfi said that she was fully qualified to participate in the tournament.
She also noted that she was born a woman and had competed as a female boxer.
On Saturday, Lin won the gold medal after defeating Julia Szeremeta from Poland. It was her fourth victory in four matches during the Olympics.
Lin and Khelfi were able to overcome the criticism and speculation surrounding their gender during the Paris Olympics.