COVER STAR

Olympic Boxer Who Faced Firestorm of Criticism Lands ‘Vogue’ Cover

Algerian athlete Imane Khelif became stuck in the middle of a culture war at the 2024 Olympics. Now, she’s on the cover of Vogue.

Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer who won a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics this year, is featured on the new cover of Arabian Vogue. Khelif was the subject of a torrent of hate and misinformation during the Paris Games, with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling just two of those who questioned her win—and her identity. Allegations doubting her gender were refuted by the International Olympic Committee, who referred to the controversy as “unaccepted hate speech.” Khelif called the ordeal a “very difficult experience” in her interview with the fashion magazine. “Despite winning the gold medal, that one event felt like a whole lifetime,” she said. “I was able to overcome it all thanks to my faith in God, in myself, and my dream. Without such challenges, I would never have become a champion.” Khelif, who Vogue Arabia described her therein as someone “redefining Arab beauty., posed for her photoshoot in structured suiting and punchy tailored pieces. She also talked about her childhood and boxing career, and said she always comes back to one phrase: “In suffering, champions are born.”