Finally, Imane Khelif managed to withstand the intense global pressure and defeated Chinese Liu Yang in the final of the women’s boxing -66kg category, winning by unanimous decision (5-0). This victory marks the first time in history that Algeria has won a coveted gold medal in the Olympic Games for the sport of boxing.
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The 25-year-old fighter is possibly the most questioned personality in the current Paris 2024 Olympic Games, due to doubts about her sexuality, being identified by some even as a Trans person. However, it has also emerged the possibility that she could have hyperandrogenism, a medical condition that could explain her appearance and physical abilities.
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Controversial gold medalist
Khelif's participation in Paris 2024 also sparked a global controversy after not being admitted last year by the International Boxing Association in 2023, for not passing testosterone tests. Both her and Taiwanese Lin Yu-ting (who will also be fighting for the gold) were suspended by the IBA on the grounds that they had not passed gender eligibility tests.
It is worth mentioning that the controversy arose in the current games because both had already participated without any issues throughout their careers in dozens of women's competitions, including the Tokyo 2020 Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) defended its decision to allow Khelif to compete by pointing out that she was born, raised, and holds a woman's passport.
Before the final, Imane Khelif expressed herself in an interview with SNTV to demand respect from her detractors: "I send a message to all the peoples of the world to respect the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to refrain from harassing athletes, because this has consequences, enormous consequences. It can destroy people, divide them, confront them. And that's why I ask you to refrain from doing so.