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- Boxer Imane Khelif dominant again, into gold medal bout (newsbreak.com)
PARIS — Algerian welterweight Imane Khelif is now just one win away from clinching a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, a victory that she views as a strong rebuttal to the global controversy surrounding her participation. On Tuesday night, Khelif defeated Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng 5-0 in the semifinals held at Roland Garros, amidst enthusiastic support from the audience that chanted her name throughout her fight. With this win, Khelif guarantees either a gold or silver medal and is poised to secure Algeria’s second boxing gold medal ever, and its first in women’s boxing.
Following her triumphant match, Khelif, speaking through an interpreter, expressed deep pride in her eight-year journey to the Olympics and gratitude for the support from her homeland. Even before this latest bout, Khelif had already marked a historical achievement by securing Algeria’s first medal in women’s boxing.
Khelif has faced a flurry of criticism and stigmatization after the now-Olympic-excluded International Boxing Association (IBA) disqualified her and Taipei’s Lin Yu-ting from last year’s world championships over eligibility issues. This led to early elimination in the ongoing Olympics, where some individuals, including high-profile names like former U.S.
President Donald Trump and author J.K. Rowling, mischaracterized her gender identity.
Despite this adversity, Khelif demonstrated immense focus and resilience. She won every round in her Paris bouts convincingly on all judges’ cards.
Her initial match ended abruptly, with Italian opponent Angela Carini quitting just 46 seconds in, overwhelmed by Khelif’s prowess. This victory unintentionally spotlighted Khelif amid a broader discussion about gender identity in sports.
Khelif’s relentless performance continued into her semifinal bout, controlling the match and eventually forcing a standing eight count after landing several decisive punches towards the latter end of the fight. Suwannapheng acknowledged the challenge post-match, admiring Khelif’s strength despite her own strategies to leverage speed.
The support for Khelif was palpable throughout the venue, with Algerian fans vocalizing their pride and community solidarity, strongly countering the negative attention. The turnout was reflective of the deep national and diaspora connections to Khelif’s journey and the controversies that surrounded her.
As Khelif progresses to the finals, scheduled to face China’s Yang Liu on Friday, she remains a symbol of strength and resilience, turning a defiant page in her career against a backdrop of significant challenges. The International Boxing Association’s actions continue to draw widespread condemnation, with entities like the IOC defending athletes’ legitimacy against what they describe as bias and incompetence.
The international community, including Chinese Taipei, has rallied in support, condemning the IBA’s actions and considering legal responses to protect athletes’ rights and transparency in sports governance.
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- Boxer Imane Khelif dominant again, into gold medal bout (newsbreak.com)