Boxing, fake news and Elon Musk

The controversy surrounding the gender of the boxer Imane Khelif at the Paris 2024 Olympics stands as a stark example of how disinformation can proliferate across social media. This incident, intertwined with the murky dealings of Umar Kremlev, president of the International Boxing Association (IBA), and questionable political influences, reveals the intricate and often troubling nexus between politics, sport and fake news.

Controversy blew up last week when Khelif, an Algerian, fought the Italian boxer Angela Carini, who quit after just 46 seconds into the bout. The Italian cited the intensity of Khelif’s punches, saying she had “never been hit so hard in [her] life,” which sparked immediate accusations about Khelif’s gender and unfair advantage.

Khelif was previously disqualified from the 2023 Women’s World Championships shortly before her gold medal bout, due to a failed gender eligibility test indicating elevated testosterone levels. However, there is a serious issue with the lack of transparency regarding the specifics of that gender test. 

The 2023 World Championships were organised by The International Boxing Association (IBA). The IBA is a murky organisation, even when judged through the prism of boxing’s (very low) ethical standards. Indeed, the IBA was stripped of its Olympic status by the IOC due to severe governance issues, financial mismanagement, and corruption, particularly under the leadership of its President, Umar Kremlev.

Before his involvement with the IBA, Umar Kremlev was a Russian businessman and sports executive. He held roles in the construction, security, and taxi industries. He was also linked to the “Night Wolves”, a far-Right nationalist biker gang with Kemlin ties, and other connections with influential Russian political circles, including Vladimir Putin.

Umar Kremlev was elected as the President of the IBA in 2020. His election was marred by allegations of corruption and breaches of campaign rules. One notable incident involved the disqualification of his opponent, Boris van der Vorst, who was barred from the election for allegedly engaging in prohibited campaigning. This decision was later overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but the election went ahead without Van der Vorst, effectively cementing Kremlev’s position unopposed.

Under Umar Kremlev’s leadership, the IBA has been plagued by allegations of corruption and governance issues, reflecting broader political motivations. The IBA’s dealings with Gazprom, a Russian state-owned energy giant, raised concerns about undue Russian influence over the organisation, particularly amidst geopolitical tensions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Gazprom’s entanglement with the Kremlin, and its strategic use in foreign policy, suggests that the IBA’s decisions may be influenced by broader Russian political agendas rather than purely sporting concerns.

The disqualification of Imane Khelif, on grounds of her gender, served multiple strategic interests for Russia and the Russian-led IBA. The disqualification came just three days after she had defeated Azalia Amineva, an unbeaten Russian boxer. This disqualification effectively restored Amineva’s undefeated record and ensured that no non-Russian competitor tarnished the reputation of Russian athletes during the championship.

Under the leadership of Umar Kremlev, the IBA has become a tool for exerting Russian political influence. The disqualification, and other actions over the last four years, has sent a clear message about the power and influence of the Russian-led IBA. It signalled to other countries and athletes that the IBA, under Russian leadership, would not hesitate to make controversial decisions that could impact international competitors, thus reinforcing Russia’s strategic position within the organisation.

If you want any further evidence of where the IBA’s loyalties lie, look at the organisation’s suspension of the Ukrainian National Boxing Federation and its ban on the Ukrainian junior boxing team from competing under their national flag. The IBA is clearly pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian.

So, within this sinister back story, last week’s controversy exploded, and the spread of disinformation started on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter). High-profile individuals, including YouTuber Logan Paul, falsely accused Khelif of being a man. Paul’s tweet, which labelled Khelif as “the purest form of evil,” was widely shared before he issued an apology—by which time the damage had been done.

J.K. Rowling, an individual I have huge respect for, joined the fray, posting tweets that inaccurately labelled Khelif as a biological man and accusing the organisers of allowing a “bullying cheat” to compete, thus adding fuel to the false narrative. Elon Musk and J.D. Vance further propagated these false claims, linking Khelif’s XY chromosomes to an alleged unfair advantage in women’s sports.

And of course, Donald Trump weighed in. He posted a clip of Khelif’s bout against Angela Carini on his Truth Social account with the caption, “I will keep men out of women’s sports!”

The Imane Khelif controversy demonstrates how even intelligent individuals, such as J.K. Rowling, can get pulled into false narratives that they seize upon when backing up their positions: disinformation isn’t just spread by the populist Right. These false narratives have proliferated and have an impact way beyond politics, reaching into the fabric of how we interact with each other. The Imane Khelif case serves as a poignant example of the impact of disinformation.

Similarly, disinformation seems to have been the spark that ignited the series of riots in the UK following the tragic deaths of three children last week in Stockport. Fake news spread rapidly on social media, leading to heightened tensions and violent unrest. False narratives and unverified claims fuelled public outrage, causing widespread disturbances which highlight its impact on social behaviour and societal stability.

Disinformation is now a cancer spreading throughout Western society, with X (or Twitter) at the hate-filled epicentre of all this. Since Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform less than two years ago, it has seen a significant increase in disinformation and hate speech. Musk’s approach to running the platform has included firing large numbers of staff and removing safeguards. Musk himself has used his own account to promote conspiracy theories, as seen in his role in spreading false information about Imane Khelif. His weekend tweet “Civil War is inevitable” at the height of the disturbances in Britain was typical of his cavalier attitude and was singled out on Monday for criticism by the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer. Studies have shown that engagement with disinformation on Twitter increased by 44% after Musk’s takeover.

But things are changing. The advertisers, which still provide X with 90% of its revenue, are pulling investment, as seen in a significant drop in advertising revenue , down 50% year-on-year. The company is now believed to be losing approximately $2 billion annually. This decrease in revenue results in part from the platform’s association with spreading harmful content and Elon Musk’s controversial decisions. No advertiser wants to be associated with any of that.

If it were still publicly traded, X would likely be in serious financial trouble, but even as a private enterprise, it is draining billions from Musk’s wallet. What can’t be masked is the fact that the company is struggling.  If X doesn’t change course it will collapse before long. But it’s an open question whether X will cause irreparable societal harm before this happens.

The issues raised by a women’s boxing match extend far beyond sport. When social media are weaponised to promote disorder, governments inevitably crack down. Disinformation is a threat not only to fair play, but to freedom under the law.

A Message from TheArticle

We are the only publication that’s committed to covering every angle. We have an important contribution to make, one that’s needed now more than ever, and we need your help to continue publishing throughout these hard economic times. So please, make a donation.