Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, target of racist attacks on her gender, has won the gold medal in the women’s boxing competition.
In the final of the boxing 66 kg category match, a visibly pumped up Imane defeated China’s Yang Liu by 5-0.
The Algerian boxer has been the victim of a racist storm questioning her gender ever since Italian boxer Angela Carini withdrew 46 seconds into their bout. Harry Potter author JK Rowling joined in on the attacks l, condemning Imane on X (formerly Twitter), as did Elon Musk.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) supported Imane and declared her eligible to compete in women’s boxing.
After that, Imane not only won all the fights but also won the decisive battle to win Algeria’s second gold medal of the event.
According to the IOC, all boxers participating in women’s boxing meet the eligibility criteria. The same boxing rules are in force at the Paris Olympics as in 2021, with all qualifying rounds of Olympic boxing held under the same rules.
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After the controversy surrounding the Algerian boxer escalated, Hungarian boxer Luca Hamori shared insulting posts about her on social media before the fight. She removed the posts after severe criticism, while Italian boxer Angela also apologized to Imane for her behaviour.
