Rowling and Musk reportedly named in Khelif cyberbullying lawsuit

Boxer Imane Khelif has revenge a suit complete alleged cyberbullying during nan Paris 2024 Olympics, which reportedly names writer JK Rowling and X proprietor Elon Musk.

The Algerian boxer won golden successful Paris, contempt being disqualified from past year's World Championships by nan International Boxing Association (IBA), aft she was reported to person grounded gender eligibility tests successful 2023.

However, nan International Olympic Committee powerfully defended Khelif's correct to compete and ruled her to beryllium eligible.

Her lawyer Nabil Boudi told Variety connected Tuesday that Musk and Rowling would beryllium named successful nan lawsuit, pursuing comments they made connected societal media.

Khelif's information was wide discussed online, aft Italian boxer Angela Carini abandoned her Olympic bout against her aft 46 seconds.

Paris nationalist prosecutor's agency told news agency AFP connected Wednesday that they had launched a cyberbullying probe, pursuing a title by Khelif.

However, a salient French ineligible blogger wrote connected X that it is improbable Mr Musk aliases Ms Rowling would look prosecution, arsenic French penal rule doesn’t use to acts committed extracurricular of France against overseas nationals.

But prosecutors could property charges against those who sent messages connected French soil.

Khelif, on pinch Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, was cleared to compete successful nan women's boxing successful Paris, having been disqualified from past year's Women's World Championships for failing to meet eligibility criteria.

But nan IOC took a different view, powerfully defending nan 2 boxers.

"This is simply a mobility of justice: women must beryllium allowed to return portion successful women's competitions. And nan 2 are women," IOC president Thomas Bach said.

X CEO Mr Musk and Harry Potter writer Ms Rowling some posted comments astir nan boxer, pinch Ms Rowling saying Khelif was "enjoying nan distress of a female he’s conscionable punched successful nan head" pursuing nan conflict pinch Carini.

Mr Musk shared a station from swimmer Riley Gaines which said "men don’t beryllium successful women’s sports".

BBC News has contacted representatives for Mr Musk and Ms Rowling for comment.

Following her win, Khelif said "attacks" complete her gender eligibility gave her triumph against Chinese world champion nan Liu a "special taste" aft she won Olympic women's boxing gold, a twelvemonth aft being disqualified from nan World Championships.

"I americium afloat qualified to return portion successful this competition," said 25-year-old Khelif. "I americium a female for illustration immoderate different woman.

"I was calved a woman. I person lived arsenic a woman. I competed arsenic a female - location is nary uncertainty astir that."

A time aft abandoning her ain conflict pinch Khelif, Carini said she "wanted to apologise" to her force for really she handled nan moments afterwards, erstwhile she declined to shingle hands pinch Khelif.

Yang had besides been owed to look Khelif successful nan last of past year's World Championship - a title nan went connected to triumph - but Khelif was disqualified by nan International Boxing Association (IBA) earlier they met.

The IBA said Khelif and Lin "failed to meet nan eligibility criteria for participating successful nan women's competition, arsenic group and laid retired successful nan IBA regulations".

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed them to compete, raised doubts astir nan tests and powerfully criticised nan IBA.

A chaotic news convention held subsequently by nan IBA did small to clear nan disorder astir Khelif and Lin's bans.

Chief executive Chris Roberts said nan brace had "chromosome tests", while president Umar Kremlev appeared to propose nan tests wished nan fighters' testosterone levels.

The BBC has been incapable to find what nan eligibility tests consisted of.

The Russian-led IBA was stripped of its position arsenic amateur boxing's governing assemblage by nan IOC successful 2019 because of fears complete its governance and regulation.