Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng, right, and Algeria's Imane Khelif (Blue) compete in the women's 66kg semi-final boxing match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Photo: MAURO PIMENTEL
Imane Khelif, the boxer at the centre of a gender dispute, beat Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng by unanimous decision in a welterweight semi-final fight at the Paris Olympics to progress to the women's final at Roland Garros.
Khelif, a silver medallist at the 2022 worlds, and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting have been in the spotlight at the Olympics as part of a storm that has dominated headlines and been the subject of much discussion on social media platforms.
"I don't want anything to be said about the controversy," Khelif said after her win.
Khelif and Lin were disqualified by the International Boxing Association from the 2023 World Championships in New Delhi, with the body saying in a shambolic press conference on Tuesday that a sex chromosome test had ruled both of them ineligible.
At those World Championships, Khelif beat Suwannapheng by unanimous decision in the semi-finals before being disqualified. Suwannapheng competed in the final after Khelif's disqualification and won silver.
Khelif and Lin are competing in the Olympics after the International Olympic Committee stripped the IBA of its status as the sport's governing body in 2023 and took control of organising the boxing in Paris.
The IOC has rejected the results of the IBA-ordered tests as arbitrary and illegitimate, saying there was no reason to conduct them.
At these Games, the IOC is using boxing eligibility rules that were applied at the 2016 and 2021 Olympics which do not include gender testing.
Fan support
Algerian fans flocked into a repurposed Court Philippe Chatrier, devoid of its iconic red clay, looking to support Khelif and screamed "Imane, Imane, Imane" ahead of the bout, while also booing Suwannapheng on entry.
In a cautious first round, both boxers attempted to keep their distance and engaged sparingly, but Khelif used her jab to better effect than her Thai opponent.
Suwannapheng connected with a big right hand in the second, but the rangy Algerian's excellent technique allowed her to keep landing shots and sweep the judge's scorecards.
Khelif threw caution to the wind and went after Suwannapheng in the final round, peppering her with jarring shots to claim the win by unanimous decision.
Both boxers touched gloves in a sign of respect after the fight, and when Khelif was announced as winner a deafening roar erupted from the fans in attendance.
"I just had the performance I was looking to deliver today to make the fans happy," Khelif said.
Khelif waited until her opponent left the ring before celebrating, jogging on the spot with an enormous grin on her face before leaving and shadow-boxing her way to the doctor's station for a quick medical check.
"I have not followed the controversy closely but all I know is that she is a woman and she is a strong fighter," Suwannapheng said.
Khelif will face Yang Liu of China in the final on Friday.
Lin also reached the semi-finals in the featherweight category, where she will take on Turkey's Esra Yildiz on Wednesday.
The storm surrounding Khelif and Lin erupted when the Algerian's opponent Angela Carini pulled out of their round-of-16 bout last week after just 46 seconds, saying she felt intense pain and feared for her safety after being hit with a barrage of punches.
In the aftermath of Carini's withdrawal, the gender furore swept social media, with people such as Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and Tesla founder Elon Musk voicing their opposition to the two boxers competing at the Games.
Following the bout, Italian Carini apologised to Khelif and said she did not harbour any ill feeling toward the Algerian.
- Reuters
