Imane Khelif has been one of the most talked about athletes of the Paris Olympics in recent days.
The 25-year-old Algerian, who, among other things, has a WC silver medal from 2022 on her track record, has received a lot of hate towards her in recent days – especially on social media.
The IOC does not approve the IBA
The reason is that the welterweight (just like the Taiwanese Lin Yu-ting) was excluded during last year’s boxing World Cup because she – according to the international boxing organization IBA’s Russian president Umar Kremlev, failed a gender test and has both an X and a Y chromosome.
During the Olympics, however, the duo has been allowed to compete, as the IOC no longer recognizes the IBA as the governing boxing organization due to, among other things, how they are governed.
– There has never been any doubt that they are women who have the right to compete in the Paris Olympics, said IOC chairman Thomas Bach at a press conference earlier today.
Beat Hungarian
Now Khelif is ready for the semi-finals, and thus ready as an Olympic medalist as there are no bronze matches in the boxing tournaments.
She defeated the Hungarian Luca Anna Harmoni today, with great crowd support behind her, after a unanimous verdict in today’s quarter-finals.
“It feels good”
After she was crowned the winner, she burst into tears.
– It feels good. It’s Algeria’s first medal in women’s boxing, so I’m very happy. I want to thank the whole world, and the Arab world, she says, to BBC.
“Have done something great”
Khelif’s medal is Algeria’s first in Paris, and she is congratulated by the country’s president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, among others.
“Congratulations Imane Khelif. You have done something great for Algeria, Algerian women and Algerian boxing. We stand by your side regardless of the result,” he signs Facebook.
The final in the women’s 66-kilogram class will be decided on Friday.