Imane Khelif said “attacks” over her gender eligibility gave her victory a “special taste” after she won Olympic women’s boxing gold a year after being disqualified from the World Championships.
The Algerian was banned and reported to have failed gender eligibility tests but, having been allowed to compete in Paris, beat Chinese world champion Yang Liu by unanimous decision over five rounds to win welterweight gold.
“I am fully qualified to take part in this competition,” said 25-year-old Khelif. “I am a woman like any other woman.
“I was born a woman. I have lived as a woman. I competed as a woman – there is no doubt about that.”
Khelif stated she had been a victim of “bullying” and that the International Boxing Association (IBA) “hates me, and I really don’t know why.”
In the arena, she was cheered on by numerous Algerian supporters waving their green, white, and red flags.
Khelif dominated the fight, showboating at the final bell, dancing with the confidence of victory. She and her opponent Yang shared a warm embrace afterward.
When the result was confirmed, Yang raised Khelif’s arm in the air, a stark contrast to the scenes following the Algerian’s opening fight against Italy’s Angela Carini. The new champion was then carried around the jubilant arena on her coach’s shoulders.
Lin Yu-ting, who was also banned last year under the same ruling, is set to fight Poland’s Julia Szeremeta in the featherweight final on Saturday.
Khelif had tears in her eyes and was applauded by Lin and bronze medallists Chen Nien-chin of Chinese Taipei and Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng as the Algerian national anthem played.
How did we get here?
Carini abandoned the first-round bout with Khelif after 46 seconds, citing the need to “preserve” her life.
Khelif, whose previous best result was a world silver in 2022, followed that bout with convincing unanimous-decision victories to reach the final.
This final was anticipated to be more challenging, as Yang represented a higher level of competition. However, it proved to be another clear victory for Khelif.
Yang was originally set to face Khelif in the final of last year’s World Championship—a title Yang eventually won—but Khelif was disqualified by the IBA before they could compete.
The IBA stated that Khelif and Lin “failed to meet the eligibility criteria for participating in the women’s competition, as set and laid out in the IBA regulations.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), which oversees boxing events at the Olympics, allowed them to compete, raised doubts about the tests, and strongly criticized the IBA, affirming that Khelif and Lin were “born and raised as women.”
IOC President Thomas Bach said earlier on Friday that the IOC “does not like the uncertainty” but acknowledged the lack of a “scientifically solid system” to “identify men and women.”
‘Stop bullying’
Khelif said she has been criticised by “enemies of success”.
“That also gives my success a special taste because of these attacks,” she said.
A chaotic news conference held by the IBA last week did little to clarify the confusion surrounding the bans on Khelif and Lin.
Chief Executive Chris Roberts mentioned that the pair had undergone “chromosome tests,” while President Umar Kremlev appeared to imply that these tests assessed the fighters’ testosterone levels.
The BBC has been unable to confirm the specifics of the eligibility tests.
The IBA, led by Russia, was stripped of its status as the governing body for amateur boxing by the IOC in 2019 due to concerns over its governance and regulation.
“They know me very well,” Khelif said. “They know what I am capable, how I have developed over the years, but now they are not recognised any more.
“They hate me and I really don’t know why.”
Khelif said she had sent a “single message” with her gold – that her “dignity and honour is above everything else”.
“My message to the whole world is that they should to commit to Olympic principles and they should avoid bullying,” she said.
“This is a message of the Olympic values.
“I hope people will stop bullying and commit to the Olympic charter. We are in the Olympic to perform as athletes. I hope we will not see similar attacks in the future.”