The Algerian boxer, Imane Khelif, who has been at the center of a significant gender dispute, secured at least a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics on Saturday, shedding tears of joy after her quarter-final victory.
"This is a fight for my honor," Khelif declared, following her impressive win over Hungary's Anna Luca Hamori in the women's 66kg category. Khelif advanced to the semi-finals with a unanimous points decision, and the two fighters shared a hug and a handshake before the judges' decision was announced. An emotional Khelif exited the ring in tears, knowing she is guaranteed a medal as losing semi-finalists in boxing are awarded bronze.
Khelif, 25, and Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, 28, were both disqualified from last year's world championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) for failing gender eligibility tests. The IBA clarified this week that the two boxers "did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognised test, the details of which are confidential." Neither boxer is known to identify as transgender.
The controversy flared up again on Thursday when Khelif swiftly defeated Italian Angela Carini in just 46 seconds, leaving Carini injured and in tears. The IBA, which has been excluded from the Games due to past mismanagement, promptly criticized the IOC. Hamori, who had previously stated that it was unfair to face Khelif, was met with boos as she entered the North Paris Arena. Khelif dominated the match, consistently pushing Hamori back and landing repeated jabs to the face.
In a gracious response to her loss, Hamori said, "I think it was a good fight. I wish good luck to my opponent and to the others in the semifinals." Algeria's president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, quickly congratulated Khelif on social media, praising her for bringing honor to Algeria, Algerian women, and Algerian boxing.
Khelif's coach, Mohammed Chaoua, expressed that his fighter "deserves a medal for her bravery." She will face Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand in the semi-finals on Tuesday for a spot in the final. In Algeria, Khelif's father, Omar, told AFP that he had raised his daughter to be hardworking and brave, emphasizing her lifelong passion for sport.
The IOC has strongly defended Khelif and Lin, with president Thomas Bach affirming that they were born and raised as women, as indicated by their passports. Ahead of Saturday's bout, Khelif's father reiterated, "My child is a girl. She was raised as a girl. She is a strong girl -- I raised her to work and be brave." There is no indication that Khelif identifies as anything other than a woman, and IOC president Bach has called for an end to the controversy, which has also affected Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting.
At a Saturday morning press conference, Bach faced numerous questions about the boxing situation, stating, "We are talking about women's boxing. We have two boxers who were born as women, who have been raised as women, who have a passport as a woman and who have competed for many years as women." Computer engineer Hannah Huang, observing Lin at a Taipei sports bar, commented, "She hasn't done anything wrong, that's the way she is -- it's unnecessary to attack her appearance."
