In a historic victory, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif claimed the gold medal in the women’s welterweight category at the Olympic Games in Paris, overcoming a storm of controversy and skepticism surrounding her gender.
Khelif’s triumph was met with jubilation from the Algerian crowd, who chanted “allez Imane” and “1, 2, 3 Algérie” as she celebrated her win.
The 25-year-old boxer, who has been training for eight years, dominated her opponent, Yang Liu of China, in a unanimous decision. The five judges scored each round 10-9 in favor of Khelif, who was supported by a large contingent of Algerian fans at the Roland-Garros Stadium.
Despite the controversy surrounding her gender, Khelif remained focused on her boxing and refused to be distracted by the outside noise. “I’m very happy for my performance. This fight for a win. Amazing. I prepared eight years in USA, in Europe, all over the world for this victory,” she said after the match.
Khelif’s victory was hailed by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune of Algeria, who congratulated her on making all Algerians proud. “We are all proud of you, Imane, as an Olympic champion,” he said. “Your victory today belongs to Algeria, and your gold is Algeria’s gold.”
The controversy surrounding Khelif’s gender began earlier this year when the Russian-led International Boxing Association (IBA) raised doubts about her chromosomes and questioned her eligibility to compete in women’s boxing. The IBA claimed that Khelif had undergone gender testing in 2022 and 2023, but the results were not made public.
The issue has sparked a heated debate, with some questioning whether Khelif is a biological woman. However, Khelif’s father has insisted that his daughter is clearly a woman who was raised as a girl. Lin Yu-Ting, another boxer who has been fighting under a cloud in France, has also been subjected to similar scrutiny.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has declared both Khelif and Lin eligible to compete in women’s boxing due to their passports showing their gender as female. USA Boxing has also cut ties with the IBA over the issue.
The controversy has gone as far as the United Nations, where diplomats from Russia and Algeria have engaged in a verbal sparring match over the matter.
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