Fans of Algerian boxer Imane Khelif celebrated in Paris on Saturday after the fighter clinched a medal at the Paris Olympics, following days of sharp scrutiny and online abuse as misconceptions about her gender exploded into a larger clash about identity in sports.
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 after she comfortably earned the second victory of her tumultuous second trip to the Olympics.
Khelif 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.
She won her opening bout at the Paris Games on Thursday when opponent Angela Carini of Italy tearfully abandoned the fight after just 46 seconds.
That unusual ending became a sharp wedge to drive into an already prominent divide over gender identity and regulations in sports, drawing comments from the likes of former U.S. President Donald Trump, “Harry Potter” writer J.K. Rowling and others falsely claiming Khelif was a man or transgender.
At a Paris Games that has championed inclusion and seen other outcry over an opening ceremony performance featuring drag queens, LGBTQ+ groups say the hateful comments could pose dangers to their community and female athletes.
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 center 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.
Hungary’s boxing association said Friday that it planned to contest the matchup with the International Olympic Committee but still let the fight go ahead.
After the bout, Hungarian IOC member Balazs Furjes said alongside Hamori that she was adamant that it was “never an option … not to fight.”
Furjes read an equivocal statement in which he praised both Hamori and the IOC while indicating Hungary wasn’t completely content.
IOC President Thomas Bach earlier Saturday defended Khelif and fellow boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan.
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.
Both had competed in IBA events for several years without problems, and the Russian-dominated body — which has faced years of clashes with the IOC — has refused to provide any information about the tests, underscoring its lack of transparency in nearly every aspect of its dealings, particularly in recent years.
Khelif, who failed to medal at the Tokyo Games three years ago, will face Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand in the 66-kg semi-finals Tuesday at Roland Garros.