Algerian Boxer Imane Khelif wins gold at the Olympics After Much Controversy About Her Gender

Algerian Boxer Imane Khelif Wins Gold At Olympics After Much Controversy About Her Gender

Posted by: Eninu William in Olympics August 10, 2024

A year after being excluded from the World Championships for allegedly failing a gender eligibility test, Imane Khelif won gold in women’s boxing in the Olympics.

In the midst of a scandal that has overtaken the Paris boxing competitions, the Algerian finally took home gold. She defeated Yang Liu, the world champion of China, by a unanimous decision to win the welterweight class.

Large groups of Algerian supporters cheered the 25-year-old into the ring while brandishing green, white, and red flags.

She went on to dominate the bout. She was dancing and showboating at the bell, knowing she would win, and then the two gave each other a tender hug.

“It is my dream. I am very happy,” Khelif told the BBC. “It is fantastic. Amazing”.

“Eight years of work, no sleep. I want to thank all of the people in Algeria. I am very happy for my performance. And I am a strong woman.”

In dramatic contrast to the events following Khelif’s first battle against Italy’s Angela Carini, Yang Liu lifted her opponent’s arm in the air upon confirmation of the result.

Imane Khelif was then paraded around a triumphant arena on her coach’s shoulders. But Khelif’s games, one of the most remarkable and contentious in recent memory, ended with her standing atop the podium.

Lin Yu-ting, the second boxer disqualified last year under the same verdict, will compete in her final on Saturday.

The Algerian national anthem played, and she was greeted with tears in her eyes and cheers from the other three medallists. However, she continues to get bullied on social media by different people and big accounts with X owner Elon Musk, Harry Potter series writer, JK Rowling being among those.

Nonetheless, she’s also received enormous support and despite all this controversy, she managed to keep her head high and it eventually paid off with a gold medal.

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