Controversial gender-row boxer Imane Khelif staked the place in boxing history tonight by gaining the chance to win the Olympic gold medal.
The 25-year-old Algerian has been at the centre of the biggest controversy at Paris 2024 after she was allowed to compete at the Olympic Games despite being previously disqualified for failing a gender eligibility test.
But she overcome huge public pressure – not least from the discredited International Boxing Association that banned her from competing – to fight her way to the final after beating Janjaem Suwannapheng from Thailand at the Rolan Garros tennis stadium that has been converted into a boxing arena.
After the referee raised her hand in victory she danced around the ring with unbridled joy.
If Khelif reaches the podium she will be the first Algerian woman to win a medal in Olympic boxing.
Imane Khalif punches Janjaem Suwannapheng in the face during the Women’s 66Kg Boxing semi-final at the Paris 2014 Olympics
Khalif was crowned winner of the match against Suwannapheng at the Rolan Garros tennis stadium that has been converted into a boxing arena
After the referee raised her hand in victory she danced around the ring with unbridled joy
After the fight Khelif refused to discuss the gender row surrounding her. But she praised her opponent and thanked her supporters.
Khelif said: ‘She was very good but I trained for two weeks and watched videos of how she fights.
‘I am one step from gold. Thank you to all the people who have stood by me especially the people of Algeria.’
The controversy surrounding Khelif exploded into a huge row after she beat her Italian opponent Angela Carini in just 46 seconds when Carini quit the match and sank to her knees in tears, declaring; ‘it’s just not fair.’
The Italian stoked claims that the Algerian is not a woman.
But Khelif was also reduced to tears after her last fight, against Hungarian Anna Luca Hamori, when she shouted from the ring; ‘I am a woman.’
Tonight supporters of the 25-year-old welter-weight from rural Algeria offered her their unflinching support amid the bad-tempered gender row.
Algeria’s Imane Khelif cools off while fighting Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng in their women’s 66 kg semifinal boxing match
Imane Khelif takes a blow to the face from Janjaem Suwannapheng during the Women’s 66Kg boxing semifinal
Imane Khelif of Algeria in action against Janjaem Suwannapheng
Anna Azout, 26, a lawyer, told MailOnline: ‘Khelif has been terribly mistreated. She is the victim of both sexism and racism. Some people in France just do not want women, particularly foreign women not to succeed.’
Nariman, 50, a company director, who had come to watch the fight with her son Ramy Auzmann, 16, said: ‘Khelif has been treated very badly.
‘She is an athlete who just wants to participate in her sport and do the best she can. But she has been turned into a political pawn.’
Other supporters packed many of the seats of the intimate boxing arena.
Waving the green and white flag with the red crescent and star, the crowd took to their feet and roared as Imane Khelif walked into the arena.
And they chanted ‘Khelif, Khelif’ as she stepped into the boxing, taking the blue corner.
Match Referee Shawn Reese raises the arm of Imane Khelif to announce the winner of the Women’s 66kg Semifinal round match
Imane Khelif of Algeria celebrates winnig against Janjaem Suwannapheng
Algeria’s Imane Khelif celebrates after defeating Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng in their women’s 66 kg semifinal boxing match
Algerian supporters take to their feet as Imane Khelif walks into the arena.
Khelif punched the air before the first bell sounded and the fight began.
By the second round the whole arena was ringing with the chant ‘Khelif, Khelif’ as she blows from her tenacious Thai opponent.
Words of encouragement in Arabic rang through the crowd as the pair grappling, danced and dragged each other around the ring.
And the roar became almost deafening when Suwannapheng was forced to take a standing count after receiving a punch in the face in the third round.
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