- Controversial Olympian Imane Khelif is guaranteed at least a bronze medal
- She advanced to the quarter-finals after her last opponent withdrew from the fight
- Khelif received enthusiastic support from the crowd in Paris and secured a decisive win
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif cried tears of joy after securing her Olympic medal with a victory over Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori in the 66kg category.
Khelif is one of two boxers participating in Paris after being banned from last year’s World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) due to alleged gender eligibility issues, a situation that has stirred significant controversy.
The International Olympic Committee disqualified her from competition after she failed a testosterone level test, and before their match, Hamori expressed that it was ‘unfair’ for Khelif to be eligible to compete.
Despite this, Khelif was cleared to compete, with IOC president Thomas Bach defending her eligibility.
In the quarter-finals, Khelif advanced when her opponent Angela Carini withdrew just 46 seconds into their bout, citing the hard blows from Khelif and the need to ‘preserve her life.’
Imane Khelif broke down in tears after guaranteeing herself an Olympic medal in Paris
Khelif sobbed with her team following her 66kg category quarter-final victory on Saturday
The gender row boxer roared in delight after she defeated Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori
Returning to the ring, Khelif was met with enthusiastic applause from the crowd, and after her convincing win, she wept while embracing her team.
In a display of sportsmanship, Hamori shared a warm moment with Khelif post-fight.
Prior to the match, Hamori claimed she was unfazed by the challenge of facing Khelif.
‘I’m not scared,’ Hamori stated. ‘I don’t care about the media coverage and social media. If she or he is a man, winning against them would be an even bigger accomplishment for me.’
However, she faced backlash online after sharing a controversial image that labeled Khelif a man.
Moreover, she posted a photo depicting a small female boxer ready to fight against a muscular opponent, a clear jab at the ongoing gender dispute in the sport.
In response, the Algerian Olympic Committee filed a formal complaint with the IOC.
A statement read: ‘The Algerian Olympic and Sports Committees acknowledge the awareness of national and international public opinion regarding the official complaint submitted by our Olympic body to the IOC.
Khelif was congratulated by her team after leaving the ring in floods of tears
Hamori (left) and Khelif (right) fought in good spirits despite the controversy around the latter
In the lead up to the match, Hamori shared several posts to her Instagram story about Khelif, including an image of a small woman facing a muscled beast in boxing gloves (pictured)
‘In regards to the serious violation of sports ethics and the Olympic Charter, concerning our champion Imane Khelif, by one participant in the Olympic boxing tournament in Paris 2024.’
‘The International Olympic Committee has issued a formal apology to violators and mandated the removal of all posts pertaining to our champion Imane Khelif.
‘We reserve the right to take legal actions against all individuals involved in the offensive campaign against Imane Khelif. We wish our champion good luck and long live Algeria.’
Khelif was one of two boxers under scrutiny regarding their sex at the Olympics, with the other being Taipei’s Lin Yu-Ting, who defeated Sitora Turdibekova, 22, from Uzbekistan.
Olympic officials have described the situation regarding eligibility as a ‘minefield,’ stating that no forensic or scientific evidence has been provided to question the gender of either athlete.
‘We are discussing women’s boxing,’ Bach emphasized. ‘Both boxers were born as women, raised as women, possess passports as women, and have competed as women for many years. This is the undeniable definition of a woman.’
