Algerian boxer Imane Khelif calls to end bullying over her gender misconceptions

Olympic boxer Imane Khelif said the wave of hateful scrutiny she has faced over misconceptions about her gender "harms human dignity," and she called for an end to bullying athletes after being greatly affected by the international backlash against her.

"I send a message to all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes, because this has effects, massive effects," Khelif said in Arabic to interview with SNTV, a sports video partner of The Associated Press. "It can destroy people, it can kill people's thoughts, spirit and mind. It can divide people. And because of that, I ask them to refrain from bullying."

The victories of Khelif and fellow boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan in the ring in Paris have become one of the biggest stories of the Paris Games. Both women have clinched their first Olympic medals even as they have faced online abuse based on unsubstantiated claims about their gender, drawing them into a wider divide over changing attitudes toward gender identity and regulations in sports.

The 25-year-old Khelif acknowledged the pressure and pain of enduring this ordeal while competing far from home in the most important event of her athletic career.

"I am in contact with my family two days a week. I hope that they weren't affected deeply," she said. "They are worried about me. God willing, this crisis will culminate in a gold medal, and that would be the best response."

The vitriol stems from claims by the International Boxing Association, which has been permanently banned from the Olympics, that both Khelif and Lin failed unspecified eligibility tests for the women's competition at last year's world championships.

Khelif declined to answer