The match occurred in entrance of an enthusiastic crowd at Roland Garros, who passionately chanted Khelif’s title all through the competition.
In a separate weight class, Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, one other boxer concerned within the eligibility controversy, can also be assured of successful not less than a bronze medal. Each Khelif, 25, and Lin participated within the Tokyo Olympics three years prior with none controversy and didn’t safe medals at the moment.
The 2 boxers confronted disqualification from the world championships final 12 months after failing to satisfy gender eligibility necessities. Nevertheless, they had been subsequently cleared to take part within the Paris Olympics.
“I’m specializing in the competitors and different issues are usually not essential. The essential factor is that I’m within the closing now,” Khelif informed BeIN Sports activities.
“I’m very pleased with this new achievement. I gave every thing I had. We labored as a workforce for years and the dream has turn out to be a actuality. I hope to focus and be as much as the accountability within the dream closing.”
Khelif, the Algerian boxer, acquired a thunderous ovation as she stepped into the world at Roland Garros, which is usually recognized for internet hosting Grand Slam tennis tournaments.
The venue was filled with a substantial variety of Algerian followers waving flags and chanting “Imane, Imane” all through the bout.
Khelif’s opponent, the Thai boxer Janjaem, who was visibly shorter, took a standing rely within the third spherical after feeling the total drive of the Algerian’s superior expertise.
Regardless of the extraordinary ambiance, the 2 fighters confirmed nice sportsmanship on the finish of the battle, warmly greeting one another and shaking palms.
Khelif celebrated her victory with a dance within the middle of the ring, eliciting much more cheers from the gang.
She is going to face Yang Liu for the gold medal, after the Chinese language boxer defeated Taiwan’s Chen Nien-chin on factors within the different semi-final.
The gender controversy surrounding Khelif and one other boxer, Lin, started when Khelif defeated Angela Carini in simply 46 seconds throughout her opening bout. Carini, who suffered a extreme nostril harm, was decreased to tears and compelled to desert the battle. The 2023 world championships, from which each Khelif and Lin had been expelled, had been organized by the Worldwide Boxing Affiliation (IBA). Nevertheless, because of considerations over the IBA’s monetary, governance, and moral practices, the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) has taken cost of the game on the Olympic Video games.
IBA president Umar Kremlev, who has ties to the Kremlin, made a controversial declare throughout a chaotic press convention, stating that each fighters had undergone “genetic testing that exhibits that these are males.”
The IOC has strongly defended Khelif and Lin, with president Thomas Bach emphasizing that they had been born and raised as ladies and maintain passports reflecting their gender.
