Imane Khelif, whose presence at the Paris Olympics has caused a firestorm of controversy, advanced to the welterweight gold medal fight with her win on Tuesday. Khelif, representing Algeria, took a 5-0 unanimous decision over Janjaem Suwannapheng and will now face the winner of the bout between Nien Chin Chen of Chinese Taipei and Liu Yang of China.
The bout was not fought at a blistering pace, with Suwannapheng happy to stay outside for the first two rounds, which allowed Kehlif to throw occasional scoring straight punches, mostly a strong jab. Entering the third and final round, Suwannapheng needed an unlikely knockout or knockdown to score the win. Suwannapheng tried to make it more of a fight but was caught by a hard combination and received a standing eight-count, locking up the win for Khelif.
Controversy over Khelif’s participation reached a fever pitch when she defeated Italy’s Angela Carini in just 46 seconds after Carini quit the fight. Social media was soon abuzz with a debate over whether Khelif should be allowed to compete, with some calling her “a man” based on a 2023 decision by the IBA to disqualify her and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting for failing a “gender test.” Khelif defeated Luca Anna Hamori in a standard-looking decision in the quarterfinals, drawing less online chatter than after the Carini fight.
The IBA, which was dropped by the IOC amid years of controversy and scandal, including findings of fight fixing in the Rio Olympics, has never given clear details about the test though have at various times claimed the tests were not for testosterone but the unspecified test detected XY chromosomes. In a press conference on Monday, IBA officials repeated the XY finding while also suddenly adding that there were issues with Khelif’s testosterone levels, this after the previous statements that testosterone tests were not a factor in their previous decision.
IBA president Umar Kremlev also attempted to add fuel to the fire by suggesting during the press conference that Khelif may be a transgender woman, saying, “I was not present when she was in the Algerian maternity. There is no proof. It may be transgender woman, maybe not.”
There is no proof, nor has the IBA ever previously claimed, that Khelif is a transgender woman and photos of her as a young girl have surfaced. She is also a female according to Algeria, where homosexuality as well as gender-affirming surgeries are strictly prohibited by law.
The IOC has repeatedly stated their position that Khelif is eligible under all applicable rules and guidelines to compete.
