A year after being excluded from the World Championships for allegedly failing a gender eligibility test, Imane Khelif won gold in women’s boxing in the Olympics.
In the midst of a scandal that has overtaken the Paris boxing competitions, the Algerian defeated Yang Liu, the world champion of China, by unanimous decision to win the welterweight class.
Large groups of Algerian supporters cheered the 25-year-old into the ring while brandishing green, white, and red flags, and he went on to dominate the bout.
She was dancing and showboating at the bell, knowing she would win, and then the two gave each other a tender hug.
In a dramatic contrast to the events following Khelif’s first battle against Italy’s Angela Carini, Yang lifted her opponent’s arm in the air upon confirmation of the result. Khelif was then paraded around a triumphant arena on her coach’s shoulders.
But Khelif’s Games, one of the most remarkable and contentious in recent memory, ended with her standing atop the podium. Lin Yu-ting, the second boxer disqualified last year under the same verdict, will compete in her final on Saturday.
The Algerian national anthem played, and she was greeted with tears in her eyes and cheers from the other three medallists.
Wang went on to win the World Championship, which Yang was scheduled to fight for in its final round. However, Khelif was disqualified by the International Boxing Association (IBA), so their fight was not held.
According to IBA regulations, Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting, who is competing in her final on Saturday, have not met the eligibility requirements to compete in the women’s division.
Khelif and Lin were “born and raised as women,” according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which oversees the boxing competitions at the Olympics. The IOC harshly criticized the IBA and permitted the two to compete.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), which oversees the Olympic boxing competition, has upheld Khelif and Lin’s claim that they were “born and raised as women” while harshly criticizing the IBA and permitting the pair to compete.
Although the organization “does not like the uncertainty,” President Thomas Bach stated earlier on Friday that there isn’t a “scientifically solid system” to “identify men and women.”
More Stories on Khelif’s Gender Eligibility Controversy
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There appears to be some dissatisfaction behind the scenes, though, as several of the pair’s rivals and coaching staffs have been dissatisfied with their engagement.
Carini later expressed regret for her actions in the aftermath of the battle, but not before declaring that it “was not right” following her defeat to Khelif.
Her instructor claimed to have warned her against fighting, citing advice from others telling her not to “fight a man”.
The Hungarian Boxing Association objected to Khelif’s selection, and opponent Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary stated, “I don’t think it is fair,” prior to the next round. Following the battle, Hamori wished Khelif luck.
The Thailand boxing team and her opponent in the semifinals, Janjaem Suwannapheng, refrained from commenting directly on the matter, however Suwannapheng stated during the bout that “she is a woman but very strong.”
After losing, two of Lin’s opponents reportedly performed “X” gestures in the ring, which are said to symbolize female chromosomes. Saying “no, no, no,” Svetlana Kamenova Staneva waved her hands and walked out of the arena.
