Olympics gender row boxer cries after bronze medal
The gender-controversial Algerian boxer won her quarterfinal on Saturday and fell into tears, securing bronze at the Paris Olympics. Imane Khelif, who faces a global storm along with another Taiwanese boxer, defeated Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori by unanimous points to reach the women’s 66kg semi-finals. Khelif exclaimed and exited the ring in tears as the pair hugged before the judges’ ruling. Before the fight, Algerian fans at the North Paris Arena yelled Khelif’s name and cheered her on.
Hamori, who said taking on Khelif was unfair, was booed into the venue but was gracious in defeat. Khelif faces Thai Janjaem Suwannapheng in the last four on Tuesday for a last spot. “This is a matter of dignity and honour for every woman or female,” 25-year-old Khelif told BeIN Sports after defeating her first opponent in 46 seconds in her second Paris win. “For years, Arabs have known me. IBA was unjust to me during years of boxing in international federation competitions. But I have God.”
Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan can also guarantee a bronze medal on Sunday when she faces Bulgaria’s Svetlana Staneva in the women’s 57kg quarterfinals. Khelif and Lin failed gender eligibility tests and were disqualified from last year’s IBA world championships. Khelif forced Angela Carini, a distraught Italian opponent, to quit in less than a minute on Thursday, sparking the controversy. In tears, Carini dropped to the center of the ring with a badly damaged nose.
Khelif and Lin, 28, failed to medal at the Tokyo Games three years ago. They were disqualified from the 2023 IBA worlds. The IBA claimed this week that the two boxers “did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognised test, whereby the specifics remain confidential”. The IOC organized Paris boxing after the IBA had governance, financial, and ethical concerns.
On Saturday, IOC president Thomas Bach said Khelif and Lin were born and raised as women and had passports proving it. Nobody knows either boxer is transsexual. Khelif’s father Omar told AFP from their Algerian village: “She’s a girl. Raised as a girl. That girl is strong. I taught her courage and work.”
