Algerian boxer at centre of gender controversy clinches medal at Olympics

Boxer Imane Khelif of Algeria clinched a medal at the Paris Olympics in an emotional fight Saturday that followed days of sharp scrutiny and online abuse as misconceptions about her gender exploded into a larger clash about identity in sports.

Khelif defeated Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary 5:0 in the quarterfinals of the women’s 66-kilogram division.

Khelif will win at least a bronze medal after she comfortably earned the second victory of her tumultuous second trip to the Olympics.

Khelif faced outcry fueled by claims from the International Boxing Association, which has been banned from the Olympics since 2019, that she failed an unspecified eligibility test to compete last year over elevated levels of testosterone.

She won her opening bout at the Paris Games on Thursday when opponent Angela Carini of Italy tearfully abandoned the fight after just 46 seconds.

Khelif’s second win in Paris appeared to be an emotional catharsis for the 25-year-old boxer from a village in northwest Algeria.

After her hand was raised in victory, Khelif went to the center of the ring, waved to her fans, knelt and then slammed her palm on the canvas, her smile turning to tears.

She left the ring to hug her coaches while her fans roared, weeping during their embrace and as she walked out.

Hungary’s boxing association said Friday that it planned to contest the matchup with the International Olympic Committee but still let the fight go ahead.

IOC President Thomas Bach earlier defended Khelif and fellow boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan.

Khelif and Lin were disqualified in the middle of last year’s world championships by the IBA, the former governing body of Olympic boxing, after what it claimed were failed eligibility tests.

“Let’s be very clear here: We are talking about women’s boxing,” Bach said Saturday.

“We have two boxers who are born as a woman, who have been raised a woman, who have a passport as a woman, and who have competed for many years as women. And this is the clear definition of a woman. There was never any doubt about them being a woman.”

Khelif, who failed to medal at the Tokyo Games three years ago, will face Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand in the 66-kg semifinals Tuesday at Roland Garros.

A silver medalist at last year’s world championships, Suwannapheng upset defending Olympic champion Busenaz Surmeneli of Turkey a few minutes before Khelif’s victory.

The reduced field at the Paris Olympics boxing tournament – which has the fewest number of total boxers since 1956 – means that many fighters can clinch medals with just two victories.

Boxing awards two bronze medals in each weight class, which means every semifinalist wins a medal.