Algerian boxer Imane Khelif clinched the gold medal in the women’s welterweight division at the Paris Olympics on Friday, capping a remarkable but contentious journey marked by intense scrutiny over her gender and online abuse.
Khelif defeated China’s Yang Liu with a unanimous 5-0 decision in the final, delivering a commanding performance at Roland Garros. The victory was met with cheers from the crowd, who waved Algerian flags and chanted her name as she celebrated.
“For eight years, this has been my dream, and I’m now the Olympic champion and gold medalist,” Khelif said through an interpreter. Asked about the scrutiny, she told reporters: “That also gives my success a special taste because of those attacks.”
“We are in the Olympics to perform as athletes, and I hope that we will not see any similar attacks in future Olympics,” she said.
“I’m fully qualified to take part in this competition,” Khelif said Friday. “I’m a woman like any other woman. I was born as a woman, I live as a woman, and I am qualified.”
Khelif’s triumph comes amid a backdrop of controversy. She has been subjected to widespread criticism and misinformation, including false claims about her eligibility and gender. This scrutiny intensified following the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) controversial disqualification of Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Li Yu-ting from last year’s world championships. The IBA’s decisions have been widely criticised for their lack of transparency and fairness.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has permanently banned the IBA from overseeing Olympic boxing due to governance issues, including the flawed sex tests that led to Khelif and Li’s disqualification.
IOC President Thomas Bach defended Khelif, denouncing the criticism as “hate speech” and reaffirming the boxers’ right to compete in Paris.
Despite the challenges, Khelif delivered an exceptional performance in Paris. She won every round on every judge’s scorecard in each of her bouts. Her gold medal is Algeria’s first in women’s boxing and the nation’s seventh overall, joining Hocine Soltani (1996) as the only other Algerian boxer to win gold.
Khelif noted that she has boxed in IBA competitions since 2018 but now “they hate me, and I don’t know why.” “I sent them a single message with this gold medal, and that is that my dignity and honor are above all else,” she said.
In Algeria, Khelif has become a national hero. Her victory was broadcast on public screens across Algiers and other cities, and a mural was painted in her honour in her hometown of Tiaret.
Khelif’s gold medal fight was the culmination of a nine-day tournament that began with an unusual turn when her first opponent, Angela Carini of Italy, withdrew after just 46 seconds due to the pain from Khelif’s punches.
On the podium, Khelif beamed with pride, waving to the crowd and kissing her gold medal.