Imane Khelif Wins Olympic Gold in Paris Amid Gender Dispute
IMANE KHELIF – The boxer from Algeria claimed the Olympic gold medal in welterweight boxing at the Paris Games, stunning fans with her decisive victory over China’s Yang Liu.
Khelif secured the gold by unanimous decision, making history as the first Algerian woman to win an Olympic boxing title. She is also the first Algerian boxer to win gold since Hocine Soltani’s triumph in Atlanta in 1996. Women’s boxing has been included in the Olympics since 2012.
The atmosphere in the arena was electric as Khelif made her entrance, with fans creating a vibrant, tropical ambiance. Her performance was commanding as she kept Yang at bay with strategic punches and controlled the center of the ring. The crowd’s excitement peaked when Khelif’s corner carried her around the stadium, and she celebrated by shadow-boxing to the tune of ‘Abdelkader,’ a popular song by French-Algerian artists.
The win came amid significant controversy surrounding gender identity in sports. Khelif, a silver medalist at the 2022 World Championships, and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting were at the center of this debate. The controversy began when the International Boxing Association (IBA) disqualified them from the 2023 World Championships, citing gender test results.
This decision was announced during the Paris Games. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) chose to follow the eligibility rules from the 2016 and 2021 Olympics, which do not include gender testing. The IOC’s decision to reject the IBA’s gender test results was supported by Human Rights Watch, which criticized the tests as arbitrary and unjustified. The IOC’s intervention ensured that Khelif and Lin were allowed to compete in Paris.
In an emotional response, Khelif expressed her joy and relief after eight years of hard work. “I’m very happy. This is my dream. Eight years, my dream. I’m Olympic champion, gold medallist. I’m very happy. Eight years, I work,” said the 25-year-old. “Eight years, no sleep. Eight years, tired. Now, I’m Olympic champion. I’m very happy. I want to thank all the people come to support me. People, Algeria, and all the people, Paris.”
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