Algerian boxer Imane Khelif captured the women's 66 kilogram gold medal at the Paris Olympics on Friday, defeating China's Yang Liu by a unanimous decision and delivering a powerful reply to a wave of criticism based on misconceptions about her sex. All five judges scored the fight for Khelif in all three rounds. She never lost a round on any judge's scorecard during the entire Olympic tournament.

A dominant route to gold

Khelif controlled the final from the opening bell at Roland Garros, landing sharp punches while the crowd repeatedly chanted her first name. Yang, the 2023 world champion in the welterweight division, attempted to keep Khelif at distance with her longer reach, but Khelif's relentless pressure and accurate combinations earned the verdict on every card. When the decision was announced, Khelif raised her arms in triumph, hugged her coaches, and was carried around the ring on the shoulders of one of her trainers before taking an Algerian flag from the crowd for a victory lap.

The victory capped a remarkable run in which Khelif did not lose a single round across four fights in Paris. She had been one of the most talked-about athletes at the Games, though much of the attention was driven by false and misinformed allegations about her gender rather than her boxing ability.

The controversy that followed her to Paris

Khelif's Olympic campaign first erupted into global controversy on August 1, when her opening opponent, Angela Carini of Italy, abandoned the bout after only 46 seconds, saying she was in too much pain. The abrupt ending quickly led to widespread speculation and abuse, often focusing on Khelif's appearance and biological characteristics.

The claims originated from a decision by the International Boxing Association (IBA), a Russian-dominated governing body that has been stripped of its role in Olympic boxing. The IBA disqualified Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting from last year's world championships, saying both failed a murky eligibility test for women's competition. The IBA has never provided transparent or independently verifiable evidence for its decision, and the International Olympic Committee has repeatedly declared the tests “irretrievably flawed.”

The IOC has barred the IBA from organizing boxing at the Olympics after years of concerns about governance, financial transparency, and competitive fairness. At the Paris Games, boxing is run by an IOC-appointed unit. The IOC has confirmed that Khelif and Lin were eligible to compete and have always complied with all applicable medical and eligibility rules.

Khelif: 'They hate me, and I don't know why'

Khelif made clear after her gold medal win that she saw the Olympic title as direct retribution against the IBA officials who had disqualified her and raised questions about her sex.

“They hate me, and I don't know why,” Khelif told reporters in the mixed zone. “I sent them a single message with this gold medal, and my dignity and honor is above all else.”

She also dedicated her victory to her homeland and to all those who supported her through a difficult fortnight. “I have dreamed of the Olympic Games for years, even my parents dreamed of the Olympic Games,” she said in Arabic. “The Algerian people deserve this medal. The Algerian people know me. They know who I am and my abilities on the ground. Today I made them happy.”

Khelif acknowledged that the hardship gave the achievement extra meaning. “That also gives my success a special taste because of those attacks,” she said. She said she hoped no future athlete would experience the same treatment. “We are in the Olympics to perform as athletes, and I hope that we will not see any similar attacks in future Olympics.”

Celebration across Roland Garros and Algeria

Supporters filled Court Philippe Chatrier, many waving Algerian flags and wearing traditional attire. They cheered every punch Khelif threw and did not stop chanting until well after the medals ceremony had ended. During the national anthem, athletes and fans sang along. Khelif, with tears in her eyes, kissed the gold medal as it was placed around her neck. She then posed for a selfie with the other medalists and raised her fist to the crowd.

Among the fans at Roland Garros was Rayane Nacef, an Algerian born in Paris. “I'm really proud of my country,” he said as stadium security guided fans toward the exits. “All the Algerian people together. It's wonderful to see that. We are a country—when someone else talks about us, you will see that we are all together.”

In Algeria, hundreds gathered in front of La Grande Poste in Algiers, watching a giant screen and celebrating each punch. Khelif's father, Omar, told a reporter that the family was “on edge” before the fight. “I spoke to Imane this morning and she's focused and optimistic. She's a fighter,” he said. In her hometown, crews painted murals and set up a public screening on a sweltering day that reached 45 degrees Celsius.

Khelif also received congratulations from fellow boxers. Amy Broadhurst of Ireland, who had beaten Khelif at the 2022 world championships and had defended her throughout the controversy, wrote on social media: “Very happy for this girl!! Weathered the storm and got what she deserved.”

Lin Yu-ting vies for gold Saturday

The other athlete caught up in the same false controversy, Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, will compete for a gold medal of her own on Saturday night at Roland Garros. Lin, a 28-year-old featherweight, won world titles in 2018 and 2022 and is guaranteed at least a silver medal after reaching the final. She will face 20-year-old Julia Szeremeta of Poland in a bout scheduled for the same venue.

Like Khelif, Lin was disqualified by the IBA last year, but the IOC has confirmed her eligibility. Lin lost in her opening bout at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, but she has bounced back in Paris and fought with poise throughout the tournament.

The wider context and a way forward

Women's boxing has been part of the Olympic program only since 2012, and its inclusion has dramatically raised the profile of female boxers around the world. Claressa Shields of the United States and Katie Taylor of Ireland both won gold at the London Games and later became professional superstars. This year's women's competition has featured some of the deepest fields in history, with boxers from China, Turkey, Poland, and Algeria all reaching finals.

The presence of boxers like Khelif and Lin has also exposed the difficulty of policing eligibility without robust international standards. The IBA, which once ran Olympic boxing, has been permanently banned from the Olympics. A breakaway body called World Boxing, which includes the United States, England, and Germany, is emerging as a potential partner for the Los Angeles Games in 2028. The hope among many athletes is that the spectacle of these Olympics will lead to clearer rules and less targeted harassment of competitors.

For Khelif, the Paris gold medal will forever answer the doubters. She walked away from the ring with a medal around her neck, her country's flag high over her shoulders, and a message that she believes was heard loud and clear. As she put it: “The best response today was winning this gold, and my dignity and honor is above everything.”

Source: AP News News