Imane Khelif capped off one of the most emotional, controversial Olympic boxing journeys in recent memory by capturing the gold medal at welterweight on Friday. Algeria’s Khelif defeated China’s Liu Yang in the finals by unanimous decision.
Yang was a tall, rangy opponent for Kehlif, who usually enjoys a height advantage in her fights. It took Khelif much of the first round to adjust to Yang’s ranginess but once she made the adjustment, Khelif took over the fight using pressure and sharp counters.
After the conclusion of three rounds, Khelif won on all five official scorecards to lock up the biggest accomplishment of her boxing career. She also ended a red-hot streak for the Chinese women’s boxers in the Paris games, with the team having already picked up two medals in part because of fantastic strategy and preparation.
Khelif became one of the most talked about athletes at the Olympics when she defeated Italy’s Angela Carini in just 46 seconds after Carini quit the fight. Social media was soon overwhelmed by a debate over whether Khelif should be allowed to compete, with some calling her “a man” based on a 2023 decision by the IBA to disqualify her and Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu-Ting for failing a “gender test” during the organization’s Women’s World Boxing Championships.
Khelif went on to defeat Luca Anna Hamori and Janjaem Suwannapheng to advance to the gold medal fight, drawing less online chatter given the fights were standard-looking bouts without the dramatics presented in the fight with Carini. Instead, Khelif used a rangy jab to dictate the fights and neutralize her opponents.
The IBA, which was dropped by the IOC amid years of controversy and scandal, including findings of fight fixing in the Rio Olympics, has never given clear details about the “gender test,” though have at various times claimed the tests were not for testosterone but the unspecified test detected XY chromosomes. In a press conference on Monday, IBA officials repeated the XY finding while also suddenly adding that there were issues with Khelif’s testosterone levels, this after the previous statements in the days before the conference that testosterone tests were not a factor in their previous decision.
In a fitting narrative twist, Yang was the woman Khelif was set to face in the finals of the 2023 World Championships when she was disqualified after the semifinals. The gold medal will also certainly soothe the sting Khelif felt when she failed to medal in the 2020 Olympics.
