Algerian boxer Imane Khelif sobbed after her victory against Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori in the 66kg category at the Olympics guaranteed her a medal.
Khelif is one of two boxers competing in Paris despite being banned from last year’s World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) after allegedly failing gender eligibility tests – a storm that has sparked controversy.
The International Olympic Committee said that she had been disqualified after failing a testosterone level test and prior to Saturday’s fight, Hamori insisted she did not ‘think it is fair’ that her opponent was able to compete.
Khelif was cleared to fight with IOC president Thomas Bach defending her inclusion.
She had earned her spot in the quarter-finals after her previous opponent Angela Carini abandoned their fight after just 46 seconds. Italian Carini later revealed she had never been hit harder and dropped out to ‘preserve her life’.
Imane Khelif broke down in tears after guaranteeing herself an Olympic medal in Paris
Khelif sobbed with her team following her 66kg category quarter-final victory on Saturday
The gender row boxer roared in delight after she defeated Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori
On her return to the ring, Khelif was given the backing of a raucous crowd and after earning a dominant victory, she sobbed as she embraced her team.
Hamori embraced Khelif in a warm moment between both competitors.
Ahead of the bout, Hamori stated she was not fazed by the prospect of facing Khelif.
‘I’m not scared,’ Hamori said. ‘I don’t care about the press story and social media. If she or he is a man, it will be a bigger victory for me if I win.’
The fighter, however, provoked anger on social media after re-posting a controversial image shared across online platforms labelling Khelif a man.
She also re-shared a photo of a small female boxer poised to fight against a muscled beast wearing boxing gloves – an apparent jibe at the gender row gripping the sport.
In response, the Algerian Olympic Committee lodged a formal complaint to the IOC.
A statement read: ‘The Algerian Olympic and Sports Committees conclude to the knowledge of national and international public opinion, that follows the official complaint submitted today by our Olympic body to the IOC.
Khelif was congratulated by her team after leaving the ring in floods of tears
Hamori (left) and Khelif (right) fought in good spirits despite the controversy around the latter
In the lead up to the match, Hamori shared several posts to her Instagram story about Khelif, including an image of a small woman facing a muscled beast in boxing gloves (pictured)
‘They are women’: Olympics supports ‘biologically male’ athletes
‘Regarding the violation and serious violation of sport ethics and affecting the Olympic Charter, in the person of our champion Iman Khalif, by one of the participants in the boxing tournament for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
‘The International Olympic Committee has issued a final apology to violators with an order to delete every post that concerns our heroine Iman Khalif.
‘We reserve the right to prosecute everyone who participated in the heinous campaign against Iman Khalif. Good luck to our heroine and long live Algeria.’
Khelif was one of two boxers to have their sex questioned at the Olympics with the second being Taipei’s Lin Yu-Ting who beat Sitora Turdibekova, 22, of Uzbekistan.
Olympic officials have said the eligibility situation is a ‘minefield’ and that no forensic or scientific evidence has been provided to prove both athletes are not women.
‘We are talking about women’s boxing,’ Bach said. ‘We have two boxers who are born as a woman, who were raised as women, who have passport as women, who have competed for many years as women. This is the clear definition of a woman.’
