In the Olympics 2024 Algerian fighter Imane Khelif secured the women's welterweight gold medal during ongoing controversy over gender disputes
On Friday, the Algerian boxer defeated Yang Liu of China to win the gold medal in the women's welterweight boxing competition at the Olympics.
The victory came over the heels of a recent gender debate in Paris that has grabbed headlines and generated a lot of conversation on social media platforms and has put Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting and Khelif, the silver medallist at the 2022 World Championships, in the public eye.
Khelif, who won by unanimous decision, is the first Algerian woman to earn an Olympic boxing title and the first boxer from her country to claim gold since Hocine Soltani at Atlanta 1996.
The 25-year-old athlete said, "I'm very happy. This is my dream. Eight years, my dream. I'm Olympic champion, gold medallist. I'm very happy. Eight years, I work.”
"Eight years, no sleep. Eight years, tired. Now, I'm Olympic champion. I'm very happy. I want to thank all the people come to support me. People, Algeria, and all the people, Paris."
Bronze went to Taiwan's Chen Nien-chin and Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng.
To note, the International Boxing Association (IBA) barred Khelif and double world champion Lin from the 2023 World Championships, citing a gender test as the reason for their ineligibility at a press conference held at the Paris Games.
