The Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was moved to tears as she was treated to a hero’s welcome before defeating Hungary’s Anna Hamori.
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif could have not wished for a better comeback after days of online abuse and misconceptions sparked by her victory against Italy’s Angela Carini.
On Saturday, Khelif defeated Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary 5:0 in the quarterfinals of the women’s 66-kilogram division.
Khelif will win at least a bronze medal whether she reaches third place or not due to Olympic boxing rules.
Khelif’s second win in Paris appeared to be an emotional catharsis for the 25-year-old boxer from a village in northwest Algeria.
After her hand was raised in victory, Khelif went to the centre of the ring, waved to her fans, knelt and then slammed her palm on the canvas, her smile turning to tears.
She left the ring to hug her coaches while her fans roared, weeping during their embrace and as she walked out.
The Olympics Gender Controversy
She faced outcry fueled by claims from the International Boxing Association, which has been banned from the Olympics since 2019, that she failed an unspecified eligibility test to compete last year over elevated levels of testosterone.
But IOC President Thomas Bach defended Khelif and fellow boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan earlier Saturday. Khelif and Lin were disqualified in the middle of last year’s world championships by the IBA, the former governing body of Olympic boxing, after what it claimed were failed eligibility tests.
“Let’s be very clear here: We are talking about women’s boxing,” Bach said on Saturday. “We have two boxers who are born as a woman, who have been raised a woman, who have a passport as a woman, and who have competed for many years as women. And this is the clear definition of a woman. There was never any doubt about them being a woman.”
Source: Euro News
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