PARIS: Algeria's Imane Khelif defeated China's Yang Liu to claim the gold medal in the women's welterweight boxing at the Olympic Games on Friday.
Khelif, a silver medallist at the 2022 World Championships, and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting have been in the spotlight as part of a gender dispute in Paris that has dominated headlines and been the subject of much discussion on social media platforms.
Khelif, who won by unanimous decision, is the first Algerian woman to win an Olympic boxing title and the first boxer from her country to win gold since Hocine Soltani at Atlanta 1996. Women's boxing has been present at the Olympic Games since London 2012.
“I'm very happy. This is my dream. Eight years, my dream. I'm an Olympic champion, a gold medalist. I'm very happy. Eight years, I'm working,” said Khelif, 25.
“Eight years without sleep. Eight years tired. Now I am an Olympic champion. I am very happy. I want to thank all the people who came to support me. The people of Algeria and all the people of Paris.”
Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand and Chen Nien-chin of Taiwan took bronze.
Khelif and two-time world champion Lin have been disqualified by the International Boxing Association (IBA) from the 2023 World Championships, with the body saying at a news conference during the Paris Games that a gender test had declared them ineligible.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is using boxing eligibility rules in Paris that were applied at the 2016 and 2021 Olympics and which do not include gender testing.
High volume
The volume was turned up several notches to a deafening level when Khelif entered the arena on Friday in his red trunks and T-shirt for the final fight on a sweltering Parisian night.
With the sweat of boxers and fans mixing in the air, there was a tropical feel to the night, the only slight breeze coming from the hundreds of waving flags.
“Imane, Imane, Imane!” the crowd chanted and shouted.
Yang must have felt lonely, the Chinese boxer was booed when she made her entrance.
Khelif, keeping his opponent at bay with his jab and taking control of the center of the ring, landed an early left hook, soon followed by a right as he appeared to be in complete control.
He sent Yang into the ropes with a precise right hook early in the second round. Yang refused to back down but never found the distance to threaten his opponent, who rode a wave of support on Roland Garros' Court Philippe Chatrier.
The crowd cheered as Khelif's cornerman carried her on his shoulders to the end of the stadium.
They roared even louder when she jumped up and began shadow boxing her way into the stands to the tune of 'Abdelkader' from the cult album “1,2,3 Soleil” by three of the most famous French-Algerian singers: Cheb Khaled, Rachid Taha and Faudel.
It really had seemed as easy as ABC to Khelif as the Jackson Five song blared from the speakers while the podium was being built in the ring as he awaited another moment of celebration.
Khelif and Lin will compete at the Games after the IOC stripped the IBA of its status as the sport's governing body in 2023 and took control of boxing organisation in Paris.
The IOC has rejected the results of gender tests ordered by the IBA as arbitrary and illegitimate and said there was no reason to carry them out, a stance backed by Human Rights Watch on Friday.
