At worst, a bronze medal is guaranteed for Imane Khelif.
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who had failed gender tests, sent a quick message to the doubters after winning a medal in the women’s 66kg division.
Nearly a year after the IBA said that a gender test had shown the boxer had XY chromosomes, Khelif is competing in the women’s division. But the boxer believes there’s one reason Khelif is still competing in the women’s division:
“I am a female.”
Following his victory over Hungarian boxer Anna Luca Hamori, Khelif expressed that opinion. With that win, Khelif moved on to the semifinals. Since boxing doesn’t have semifinals, Khelif is, at the very least, assured a bronze medal.
Angela Carini of Italy is pictured in the background, followed by Algeria’s Imane Khelif. (Isabel Infantes/REUTERS)
Thomas Bach, the president of the IOC, had earlier on Saturday supported Khelif and Taiwanese fighter Lin Yu-ting. The IBA, the old body that governed Olympic boxing, disqualified Khelif and Lin midway through the world championships last year due to what it alleged were incomplete eligibility testing.
The Russian-dominated body, which has clashed with the IOC for years, has refused to provide any information about the tests, highlighting its lack of transparency in almost every aspect of its dealings, especially in recent years. Both had participated in IBA events for several years without any issues.
Prior to her match against Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary on August 3, 2024, at the Paris Olympic Games, Algeria’s Imane Khelif is pictured. (AFP via Getty Images; MOHD RASFAN))
Bach stated on Saturday, “Let’s be very clear: We are talking about women’s boxing.” “We have two boxers who were raised as women, who were born as women, who have a passport issued to them as women, and who have competed as women for many years. And a lady is precisely defined as this. Their identity as a woman was never in question.
The IOC deemed the IBA’s tests to be “flawed.”
Following the fight, Irene Khelif’s mother appeared on Algerian television, praising her daughter and describing the fighter as “courageous despite racist and sexist attacks to break her.”
When Italian Angela Carini, Khelif’s previous opponent, forfeited their battle 46 seconds into their fight, the dispute escalated even further.
Imane Khelif of Algeria celebrates her victory over Anna Hamori Luca of Hungary on August 3, 2024, during the Paris Olympic Games. (Photo by John Locher/AP)
Khelif will compete against Thai boxer Janjaem Suwannapheng on Tuesday at 4:34 p.m. ET for the opportunity to compete for a gold medal.
