Caitlin Clark was named AP’s Female Athlete of the Year without much competition, but it was hard for fans not to notice that Olympic gold medalist boxer Imane Khelif received votes as well.
A group of 74 sports journalists from The Associated Press and its members voted on the award. Clark received 35 votes, while Olympic gymnast Simone Biles was second with 25.
Khelif was third, getting four votes. While it was not a lot, it was just enough to set people off.
Former ESPN personality Charly Arnolt is one of many people speaking out against these votes.
‘How in the world are there four AP journalists, who make it their bread and butter covering sports, who decided that this person deserved to be the athlete of the year?’ the 37-year-old asked on OutKick’s ‘The Morning’ show.
‘I mean, does it make any sense? This is a person we don’t even truly know at the end of the day what their biological gender is.
‘This has been one of those crazy convoluted stories [of] are they a woman? Are they a man? We can’t even really speak so freely about it because all hell will break loose.
‘Clearly, these four journalists have some rewirings that need to be constructed in their brains.’
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Khelif was in a firestorm throughout the Paris Olympics after social media learned the Algerian fighter failed a gender test in the run-up to the Paris Games.
The International Olympic Committee had her back. They maintained that Khelif met all the requirements to compete and eventually won the gold medal.
International Boxing Association president Umar Kremlev said Imane Khelif had “XY chromosomes,” which are associated with biological males.
Things got crazy after Angela Carini forfeited her bout against Khelif in Paris, saying, “One punch hurt too much.”
Khelif has not known peace in her life ever since.
Tennis Legend Martina Navratilova Was Also Upset About Imane Khelif Receiving Votes
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was at the center of the biggest controversy in the 2024 Paris Olympics as social media was convinced that she was a transgender boxer fighting women.
She won a gold medal despite people being unsure about her gender.
Although things had quieted down since the end of the Paris Games, The Associated Press kicked things back up after they revealed that Khelif received a few votes for Female Athlete of the Year.
The controversial boxer placed third behind WNBA star Caitlin Clark and legendary gymnast Simone Biles.
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova, who has advocated for protecting women’s sports, reacted in a post on X.
“Wtaf???” she wrote, which means “what the actual f—.”
