Boxer at centre of gender controversy wins Olympic gold

Algerian Imani Khelif beats Chinese boxer amid heated dispute over athlete’s eligibility

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif won the Olympic gold medal on Friday, beating China’s Yang Liu in the welterweight final at the Paris Games. The victory comes amid controversy over Khelif’s eligibility as a woman.

Khelif, who triumphed in every round of the fight, was disqualified from the Women’s World Boxing Championship in New Delhi last year after DNA tests led to the Algerian and several other athletes being declared ineligible. At the time, International Boxing Association (IBA) president Umar Kremlev said the tests “They proved they had XY chromosomes and were therefore excluded from sporting events.”

Earlier this year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) admitted Khelif and Lin Yu-ting of the Chinese Taipei team – which was also disqualified from last year’s competition – to the Paris tournament. Last week, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said all competitors “comply with the eligibility rules”, while casting doubt on the tests carried out last year.

Earlier this month, Khelif gained worldwide attention after defeating Italian boxer Angela Carini in just 46 seconds in a preliminary match. The short fight sparked outrage online, with many calling the Algerian athlete “male” due to previous failed gender tests.

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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Carini’s fight against Khelif was not a fight between equals, adding that “Athletes who have male genetic characteristics should not be allowed to compete in women’s competitions.” British author JK Rowling and American billionaire Elon Musk have also called the competition unfair.

In 2019, the IOC suspended the IBA, citing alleged governance, financial, refereeing and ethics issues. The association did not compete in the boxing events at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.

Relations between the two organisations have further deteriorated following the Ukraine conflict. In 2022, the IBA, led by Kremlev, a Russian national, overturned a ban on Russian and Belarusian boxers, becoming one of the few global sports organisations to allow them to perform with their national flags and anthems despite international sanctions. Last year, the IOC stripped the IBA of its recognition over its failure to implement governance and financial reforms, and took over boxing at the Paris Olympics.