Imane Khelif (Arabic: إيمان خليف, romanized: ʾĪmān Khalīf, pronounced [ʔiːˈmaːn xaˈliːf]; born 2 May 1999) is an Algerian professional boxer. She represented Algeria at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Early life
Khelif grew up in a rural village in Tiaret Province, in northwestern Algeria. She originally played football before switching to boxing. In her early years, she had to commute to a neighboring village to attend training sessions, and sold scrap metal to afford the bus fare. She stated that her father initially did not allow her to participate in the sport because "he did not approve of boxing for girls".
Career
2018–2021: Career beginnings and Olympic debut
At the 2018 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships, Khelif finished...