Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has bit back at haters as she secured herself at least a silver medal at the Paris Olympics
The boxer at the centre of a gender row at the 2024 Paris Olympics has made it to the final of the Women’s 66kg boxing welterweight division.
Algerian Imane Khelif, who failed an unspecified IBA gender test last year but has been defended by the Olympic committee, has secured herself at least a silver medal if not gold – if she can better her opponent Yang Liu, of China, on Friday (August 9).
Khelif has won the semi-final. (MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Yesterday (August 6), the Olympian won her semi-final match against Thai boxer Janjaem Suwannapheng via a unanimous result.
Now, Khelif has addressed the media and gave a defiant statement to silence the haters.
She said: “I don’t care what anyone is saying about me with the controversy.
“All that is important to me is that I stay on the level and give my people the performance they deserve. I know I’m a talented person and this is a gift to all Algerians.”
Her name could be heard being chanted by her compatriots in the crowd at Phillippe-Chatrier Court at Roland Garros, with a large portion of it being taken up by multiple Algerian flags being waved.
Khelif’s latest victory comes after the 25-year-old – who was born and raised as a girl – was disqualified from the 2023 World Championships for failing an unspecified gender eligibility test.
Khelif is advancing to the finals. (MAURO PIMENTEL/AFP via Getty Images)
Khelif and fellow Olympian Lin Yu-ting, a Taiwanese boxer fighting under Chinese Taipei, were disqualified.
IBA president Umar Kremlev, a friend of Vladimir Putin, claimed the test ‘proved’ they had XY chromosomes.
However, it is worth noting that the IBA was completely stripped of its Olympic credentials five years ago.
The Olympic Committee previously released a statement reaffirming Khelif’s eligibility to compete in the Games, saying that ‘every person has the right to practise sport without discrimination’.
In the face of worldwide scrutiny, both athletes guaranteed themselves a medal at this summer’s Olympics, which is being held in Paris for the first time in 100 years.
While the gender row was always prevalent going into the competition, the storm started to take shape after she beat Italy’s Angela Carini in just 46 seconds – with Carini throwing in the towel.
Since then, Khelif’s own father has has weighed in on the row surrounding his daughter’s appearance at the Olympics.
During an interview with French TV station BFMTV, Omar Khelif showed his daughter’s birth certificate to viewers to prove that she was born a girl.
Team USA’s current medal count – 86
Gold medalists
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Amit Elor won gold in wrestling (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Lee Kiefer: Fencing – Women’s individual foil
Torri Huske: Swimming – Women’s 100m butterfly
Jack Alexj, Chris Guiliano, Hunter Armstrong, Caeleb Dressel, Ryan Held, Matt King: Swimming – Men’s 4x100m freestyle
Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, Hezly Rivera: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s team competition
Katie Ledecky: Swimming – Women’s 1500m freestyle
Nick Mead, Justin Best, Michael Grady and Liam Corrigan: Rowing – Men’s coxless four
Jacqueline Dubrovich, Lee Kiefer, Lauren Scruggs, Maia Mei Weintraub – Fencing: Women’s foil team
Simone Biles: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s individual all-around
Kate Douglass: Swimming – Women’s 200m breaststroke
Simone Biles: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s vault
Vincent Hancock: Shooting – Men’s skeet
Ryan Crouser: Athletics – Men’s shot put
Katie Ledecky: Swimming – Women’s 800m freestyle
Nic Fink, Torri Huske, Ryan Murphy, Gretchen Walsh: Swimming – Mixed 4x100m medley relay
Bobby Finke: Swimming – Men’s 1500m freestyle
Kristen Faulkner: Cycling – Women’s road race
Scottie Scheffler: Golf – Men’s individual stroke play
Noah Lyles: Athletics – Men’s 100m
Regan Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske: Swimming – Women’s 4x100m medley relay
Valarie Allman: Athletics – Women’s discus throw
Caroline Marks: Surfing – Women’s Shortboard
Cole Hocker: Track and field – Men’s 1500m
Gabby Thomas: Track and field – Women’s 200m
Amit Elor: Wrestling – Women’s freestyle 68kg
Silver medalists
Annette Echikunwoke won silver in the hammer throw (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Nic Fink: Swimming – Men’s 100m breaststroke
Lauren Scruggs: Fencing – Women’s individual foil
Gretchen Walsh: Swimming – Women’s 100m butterfly
Haley Batten: Mountain Bike – Women’s cross country
Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh. Torri Huske, Simone Manuel, Erika Connolly, Abbey Weitzel: Swimming – Women’s 4x100m freestyle
Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook: Diving – Women’s springboard 3m synchronised
Katie Grimes: Swimming – Women’s 400m individual medley
Jagger Eaton: Skateboarding – Men’s street
Regan Smith: Swimming – Women’s 100m backstroke
Bobby Finke: Swimming – Men’s 800m freestyle
Carson Foster, Brooks Curry, Chris Guiliano, Luke Hobson, Drew Kibler, Blake Pieroni, Kieran Smith: Swimming – Men, 4x200m freestyle
Perris Benegas: Cycling – Women’s BMX freestyle
Torri Huske: Swimming – Women’s 100m freestyle
Regan Smith: Swimming – Women’s 200m butterfly
Erin Gemell, Katie Ledecky, Paige Madden, Simone Manuel, Anna Peplowski, Alex Shackell, Claire Weinstein: Swimming – Women’s 4x200m freestyle
Karl Cook, Laura Kraut, McLain Ward: Equestrian – Jumping team
Sagen Maddalena: Shooting – Women, 50m rifle 3 positions
Regan Smith: Swimming – Women’s 200m backstroke
Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram: Tennis – Men’s doubles
Conner Prince: Shooting – Men’s skeet
Joe Kovacs: Athletics – Men’s shot put
Kaylyn Brown, Bryce Deadmon, Shamier Little, Vernon Norwood: Athletics – 4x400m relay mixed
Sha’Carri Richardson: Athletics – Women’s 100m
Kate Douglass: Swimming – Women’s 200m individual medley
Brady Ellison: Archery: Men’s individual
Hunter Armstrong, Caeleb Dressel, Nic Fink, Ryan Murphy: Swimming – Men’s 4x100m medley relay
Seth Rider, Taylor Spivey, Morgan Pearson and Taylor Knibb: Triathlon – Mixed relay
Simone Biles: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s floor exercise
Sam Kendricks: Athletics – Men’s pole vault
Vincent Hancock and Jewell Austen Smith: Shooting – Mixed team skeet
Annette Nneka Echikunwoke: Track and field – Women’s hammer throw
Bronze medalists
Omari Jones won bronze in boxing (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Carson Foster: Swimming – Men’s 400m individual medley
Katie Ledecky: Swimming – Women’s 400m freestyle
Chloe Dygert: Cycling – Women’s individual time trial
Frederick Richard, Brody Malone, Stephen Nedoroscik, Paul Juda, Asher Hong: Artistic Gymnastics – Men’s team competition
Nick Itkin: Fencing – Men’s foil individual
Emma Weyant: Swimming – Women’s 400m individual medley
Ryan Murphy: Swimming – Men’s 100m backstroke
Luke Hobson: Swimming – Men’s 200m freestyle
Nyjah Huston: Skateboarding – Men’s street
Ilona Maher, Kayla Canett, Lauren Doyle, Alev Kelter, Kristi Kirshe, Sarah Levy, Alena Olsen, Ariana Ramsey, Steph Rovetti, Alex Sedrick, Sammy Sullivan, Naya Tapper: Rugby 7s – Women’s team competition
Katharine Berkoff: Swimming – Women’s 100m backstroke
Evy Leibfarth: Canoe slalom – Women’s Canoe Single
Suni Lee: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s individual all-around
Casey Kaufhold, Brady Ellison: Archery – Mixed Team
Grant Fisher: Athletics – Men’s 10,000m
Ian Barrows and Hans Henken: Sailing – Men’s skiff
Henry Hollingsworth, Nick Rusher, Christian Tabash, Clark Dean, Chris Carlson, Peter Chatain, Evan Olson, Pieter Quinton: Rowing – Men’s eight
Stephen Nedoroscik: Gymnastics – Men’s pommel horse
Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul: Tennis – Men’s doubles
Jade Carey: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s vault
Jasmine Moore: Athletics – Women’s triple jump
Melissa Jefferson: Athletics – Women’s 100m
Paige Madden: Swimming – Women’s 800m freestyle
Suni Lee: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s uneven bars
Austen Jewell Smith: Shooting – Women’s skeet
Fred Kerley: Athletics – Men’s 100m
Jordan Chiles: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s floor exercise
Cierra Burdick, Dearica Hamby, Rhyne Howard, Hailey van Lith: 3×3 basketball – Women’s competition
Yared Nuguse: Track and field: Men’s 1500m
Brittany Brown: Track and field – Women’s 200m
Omari Jones: Boxing – Men’s 71kg
