Algerian boxer Imane Khelif secured a gold medal at the Paris Olympics on Friday, overcoming both fierce competition and significant scrutiny regarding her gender. Khelif defeated China’s Yang Liu with a 5:0 victory in the women’s welterweight final, marking a pinnacle achievement in her boxing career at Roland Garros.
Throughout the tournament, Khelif faced intense online abuse and scrutiny over misconceptions about her gender, which she addressed after her win. “For eight years, this has been my dream, and I’m now the Olympic champion and gold medalist,” she stated through an interpreter. She added that the scrutiny “gives my success a special taste because of those attacks,” and expressed hope that future Olympians would not endure similar challenges.
The controversy surrounding Khelif is partly rooted in her disqualification from last year’s world championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA). The IBA, which has been permanently banned from the Olympics by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) due to governance and fairness concerns, disqualified Khelif and Taiwan’s Li Yu-ting, citing eligibility tests for women’s competition. The IOC has since defended Khelif and Li, denouncing the IBA’s tests as flawed.
Khelif, who has been competing in IBA tournaments since 2018, expressed confusion over the criticism she has faced. “I’m fully qualified to take part in this competition,” she said. “I’m a woman like any other woman. I was born as a woman, I live as a woman, and I am qualified.” She also sent a message to her critics, stating, “I sent them a single message with this gold medal, and that is that my dignity and honor are above all else.”
Khelif’s victory is Algeria’s first gold in women’s boxing and the seventh overall in the nation’s Olympic history. The triumph has made her a hero in Algeria, where many viewed the criticism as an attack on their country. Her fight was broadcast in public squares across Algiers and other cities, with a mural of Khelif being painted in her hometown of Tiaret.
In the final, Khelif won the first round on all five judges’ scorecards and continued to dominate in the second round, pushing Yang back against the ropes. The third round saw Khelif secure her victory, performing a celebratory shuffle before the final bell. During the medal ceremony, Khelif waved to the crowd and kissed her gold medal, with the four medalists posing for a podium selfie.
Khelif’s journey to gold began with a bizarre start, as her first opponent, Italy’s Angela Carini, forfeited the bout after just 46 seconds, citing the pain from Khelif’s punches. This incident drew attention and comments from public figures like former U.S. President Donald Trump and author J.K. Rowling, who speculated falsely about men competing in women’s sports. Carini later expressed regret and apologized to Khelif.
Khelif’s success in Paris represents her best performance in any international tournament to date. On Saturday, Taiwan’s Li Yu-ting will have a chance to win her own gold medal, facing Poland’s Julia Szeremeta in the final match of the Olympics.
