Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has reached the Olympic final despite the ongoing gender debate surrounding her.
06.08.2024, 06:55
07.08.2024, 07:03
SDA
The 25-year-old won her semi-final against Janjaem Suwannapheng from Thailand unanimously on points and will box for gold in the 66 kg weight class on Friday. "God willing, this crisis will culminate in a gold medal, that would be the best answer," said Khelif after her quarter-final victory. She wanted to send "a message to the people of the world" in Paris. Bullying can "destroy people, it can kill people's thoughts, spirit and minds".
The fights between Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting (28), who will be boxing for the final in the 57 kg weight class on Wednesday, will be accompanied by a fierce controversy over starting rights. This goes far beyond the sport and has also reached the highest political circles. Both boxers were excluded from the 2023 World Championships by the IBA, which is no longer recognized by the International Olympic Committee, following gender tests that have not yet been explained in detail. According to the IBA, neither of them had met the required participation criteria and had "competitive advantages compared to other female participants".
The IOC called it an "arbitrary decision without due process" and allowed Khelif and Lin to take part in Paris. One of the reasons given was that the gender stated in the passport is decisive for admission to competitions in many sports. The IOC warned of a "culture war". The controversial Russian IBA President Umar Kremlev criticized that the current debate was "destroying" sport.
