“Absolute Insanity” – Brittany Aldean Weighs In On Imane Khelif & Olympic Boxing Controversy

The Olympic boxing controversy has become so heated, even Brittany Aldean is chiming in. In case you aren't up to date on the issue at hand, there's been a lot of tension around Algerian boxer Imane Khelif's recent win in the boxing ring. Khelif's matchup against Italian boxer Angela Carini only lasted 46 seconds, after which the clearly outmatched Carini flew the white flag after taking multiple hits and being punched in the nose. Carini suffered a suspected broken nose and later said that was the hardest she's ever been hit. However, the short nature of the fight isn't what's drawing in a lot of attention. Instead, its the fact that the Algerian boxer's biological gender is in question. Khelif has been disqualified from competing in previous women's tournaments (like those sanctioned by the International Boxing Association) because of elevated levels of testosterone, as well as possessing an XY chromosome (males have XY chromosomes, while females have XX chromosomes). Most recently, she was banned from the 2023 World Championships by IBA, and although she initially appealed that decision, she eventually withdrew her appeal. Despite those findings, it's important to note that Khelif has never identified as male, transgender or intersex. Throughout Khelif's many years of competition, the Algerian boxer has always competed as a female, and even did so in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (in which Khelif quietly lost in the quarterfinals). https://twitter.com/minakimes/status/1819092650194358773?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1819092650194358773%7Ctwgr%5Ea58eb740f5869077d2827b998bfd0b29fcf8eb93%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.whiskeyriff.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D602990action%3Dedit But even with all of that being said, the boxer’s appearance at the Olympics has been controversial, with many claiming that Khelif has a biological advantage over the other women in the competition. It's definitely hard to argue against that appearance when you take a look at the first round matchup between Khelif and Carini. Khelif landed a few strong punches, dislodging Carini’s headgear and possibly breaking her nose, before the Italian boxer raised her hands and surrendered. After the match, Carini even refused to shake Khelif’s hand because she believed the fight was "unjust." “I felt a severe pain in my nose, and with the maturity of a boxer, I said ‘enough,’ because I didn’t want to, I didn’t want to, I couldn’t finish the match.” https://twitter.com/BillboardChris/status/1819065476057870431?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1819065476057870431%7Ctwgr%5Eb9aa188c468a070f5059a6f349ac65054afa156a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.whiskeyriff.com%2F2024%2F08%2F01%2Fpat-mcafee-addresses-olympic-boxing-controversy-the-physical-body-is-the-one-competing-we-need-some-fairness%2F The lopsided boxing match has led many notable figures - including Donald Trump, Jake Paul, JK Rowling, Riley Gaines, Dan Orlovsky, Elon Musk, Saquon Barkley and Pat McAfee, and more - to call out Khelif's participation in the Olympic games. Though there are still plenty of question marks around the Algerian boxer (including the fact that Khelif has previously failed IBA gender testing), many are saying that having Khelif fight against other women is unfair. Including Jason Aldean's wife Brittany, who shared this message on her Instagram story: "Absolute insanity. Men do not belong in women's sports." Of course, it's not hard to see how the stakes are much higher in a contact sport like boxing, compared to a sport like swimming or running. She's not just losing... she's risking her life if she is indeed boxing someone with significantly higher levels of testosterone. That being said, Khelif's record, 37-9 with just 5 knockouts, doesn't exactly show a history of destroying her opponents. The 2024 Paris Olympic have not been short of controversial storylines. Before the games even officially began, a soccer coach from Canada was sent home after they allegedly used a drone to spy on other teams. And the cleanliness of the Seine River - which was utilized for the Olympic triathlon competition - has caused uproar after triathletes were reportedly disgusted with the conditions of the water.