Iman Khelif, who failed the gender test, changed her image to promote a beauty salon

Algerian Olympic boxing champion Iman Khelif became the face of an advertising campaign for a beauty salon.

Khelif, who failed the gender test in 2023, won gold in the 66kg weight category at the Paris Games. Last week it became known that an Algerian athlete filed a complaint with the prosecutor’s office in connection with cyberbullying.

“To achieve her medal, she didn’t have to waste time going to beauty salons. She never felt the need to meet these standards to prove her existence.

Her message is much deeper: clothes do not make a person a monk, appearance does not reveal the essence. She can be feminine and elegant when she wants, but in the ring she doesn’t need jewelry or high heels. You just need strategy, power and punches, which are the essence of her personality.

Just as mustaches do not define a man (beetles have them too), dresses, eyelash extensions and makeup do not define a woman, the text of the commercial says.

The International Boxing Association (IBA) suspended Khelif during the 2023 World Championships in India due to failure to meet eligibility criteria. As a result of the gender test, it was proven that the athlete has XY chromosomes.