NEW DELHI: Algerian boxer Iman Khelif was securing the medal Paris Olympics after defeating Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori in the women’s 66 kilogram quarterfinals.
Khelif’s victory comes amid intense scrutiny and online abuse over misunderstandings about her gender, turning the issue into a wider debate about identity in sport.
Khelif won the quarter-final match 5:0 against Hamori, guaranteeing himself at least a bronze medal at the Olympics.
It was Khelif’s second trip to the Olympics and she won a medal after her previous victory over Italy’s Angela Carini, who left the match just 46 seconds into Thursday’s match.
Facing heightened scrutiny, Khelif has been at the center of a controversy initiated by the banned International Boxing Association (IBA), which claimed she failed an unspecified qualification test for the women’s competition last year.
Amid these accusations, Khelif’s participation in the Paris Olympics generated significant support and reaction.
In the match against Hungary, Khelif entered the ring at the Arena Nord in Paris to loud cheers from a section of the audience waving the Algerian flag, underscoring his popularity.
Undeterred by online abuse, Khelif was greeted with chants of “Faith!” while Hamori faced light booing from the crowd.
Support for Khelif also came from the highest levels.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach defended Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting, who faced similar scrutiny.
The IBA had disqualified both athletes midway through last year’s world championships, citing failed qualifying tests but declined to provide specific details about the tests.
“Let’s be very clear here: We’re talking about women’s boxing,” Bach said Friday. “We have two boxers who were born as women, who have been raised as women, who have passports as women, and who have competed as women for many years. And this is the clear definition of a woman. There is no doubt about her being a woman.
The IBA, which was banned from participating in the Olympics in 2019 due to conflicts with the IOC over various issues, said Khelif was disqualified last year due to high testosterone levels.
However, the organization has not released any other details, citing confidentiality.
“What we’re seeing now is that some want to have a definition of what it means to be a woman,” Bach added. “And there I can only invite them to create a new scientifically based definition of who a woman is, and how can someone be born, raised, compete and have a passport as a woman not be considered a woman?
“If they come up with something, we are ready to listen,” Bach added. “We are ready to check, but we will not participate in cultural wars that are sometimes politically motivated.”
The situation escalated when public figures, including former US President Donald Trump and ‘Harry Potter’ author JK Rowling, wrongly claimed Khelif was a man or transgender.
The comments added to the tension, especially at the Paris Games which insisted on inclusion. LGBTQ+ groups have expressed concern that such hate speech is harmful to the community and to female athletes.
Amid the controversy, Khelif and Lin also enjoyed the support of the audience at the North Paris Arena.
Lin, a two-time Olympian, will go for her first medal on Sunday if she beats Bulgaria’s Svetlana Staneva.
Lin easily won her opening match against Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova on Friday.
“What is happening in this context on social media, with all this hate speech, with all this aggression and abuse, and supported by this agenda, is unacceptable,” said Bach.
A reduced field in the Paris Olympic boxing tournament – which saw the lowest number of boxers since 1956 – meant that many fighters could claim medals with just two victories. Boxing awarded two bronze medals in each weight class, meaning each semifinalist won a medal.
Olympic sports achieved gender equality for the first time in Paris, inviting 124 men and 124 women just 12 years after women’s boxing made its Olympic debut.
Khelif’s victory comes amid intense scrutiny and online abuse over misunderstandings about her gender, turning the issue into a wider debate about identity in sport.
Khelif won the quarter-final match 5:0 against Hamori, guaranteeing himself at least a bronze medal at the Olympics.
It was Khelif’s second trip to the Olympics and she won a medal after her previous victory over Italy’s Angela Carini, who left the match just 46 seconds into Thursday’s match.
Facing heightened scrutiny, Khelif has been at the center of a controversy initiated by the banned International Boxing Association (IBA), which claimed she failed an unspecified qualification test for the women’s competition last year.
Amid these accusations, Khelif’s participation in the Paris Olympics generated significant support and reaction.
In the match against Hungary, Khelif entered the ring at the Arena Nord in Paris to loud cheers from a section of the audience waving the Algerian flag, underscoring his popularity.
Undeterred by online abuse, Khelif was greeted with chants of “Faith!” while Hamori faced light booing from the crowd.
Support for Khelif also came from the highest levels.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach defended Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting, who faced similar scrutiny.
The IBA had disqualified both athletes midway through last year’s world championships, citing failed qualifying tests but declined to provide specific details about the tests.
“Let’s be very clear here: We’re talking about women’s boxing,” Bach said Friday. “We have two boxers who were born as women, who have been raised as women, who have passports as women, and who have competed as women for many years. And this is the clear definition of a woman. There is no doubt about her being a woman.
The IBA, which was banned from participating in the Olympics in 2019 due to conflicts with the IOC over various issues, said Khelif was disqualified last year due to high testosterone levels.
However, the organization has not released any other details, citing confidentiality.
“What we’re seeing now is that some want to have a definition of what it means to be a woman,” Bach added. “And there I can only invite them to create a new scientifically based definition of who a woman is, and how can someone be born, raised, compete and have a passport as a woman not be considered a woman?
“If they come up with something, we are ready to listen,” Bach added. “We are ready to check, but we will not participate in cultural wars that are sometimes politically motivated.”
The situation escalated when public figures, including former US President Donald Trump and ‘Harry Potter’ author JK Rowling, wrongly claimed Khelif was a man or transgender.
The comments added to the tension, especially at the Paris Games which insisted on inclusion. LGBTQ+ groups have expressed concern that such hate speech is harmful to the community and to female athletes.
Amid the controversy, Khelif and Lin also enjoyed the support of the audience at the North Paris Arena.
Lin, a two-time Olympian, will go for her first medal on Sunday if she beats Bulgaria’s Svetlana Staneva.
Lin easily won her opening match against Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova on Friday.
“What is happening in this context on social media, with all this hate speech, with all this aggression and abuse, and supported by this agenda, is unacceptable,” said Bach.
A reduced field in the Paris Olympic boxing tournament – which saw the lowest number of boxers since 1956 – meant that many fighters could claim medals with just two victories. Boxing awarded two bronze medals in each weight class, meaning each semifinalist won a medal.
Olympic sports achieved gender equality for the first time in Paris, inviting 124 men and 124 women just 12 years after women’s boxing made its Olympic debut.