Boxer Imane Khelif of Algeria clinched a medal Saturday at the Paris Olympics following days of sharp scrutiny and online abuse as misconceptions about her gender have exploded into a larger clash about identity in sports.
Khelif defeated Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary 5:0 in the quarterfinals of the womenB次元官网网址檚 66-kilogram bout.
Khelif will win at least a bronze medal after defeating Hamori for the second victory of her tumultuous second trip to the Olympics.
Khelif was faced international scrutiny after the banned International Boxing Association claimed Khelif failed an unspecified eligibility test for womenB次元官网网址檚 competition last year. She then won her opening bout Thursday when opponent Angela Carini of Italy tearfully abandoned the fight after just 46 seconds.
The unusual ending became a sharp wedge to drive into an already prominent divide over gender identity and regulations in sports, drawing comments from the likes of former U.S. President Donald Trump, B次元官网网址淗arry PotterB次元官网网址� writer J.K. Rowling and others falsely claiming Khelif was a man or transgender.
At a Paris Games that has championed inclusion and seen other outcry over an opening ceremony performance featuring drag queens, LGBTQ+ groups say the hateful comments could pose dangers to their community and female athletes.
IOC President Thomas Bach on Saturday defended Khelif and fellow boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan. Khelif and Lin were disqualified in the middle of last yearB次元官网网址檚 world championships by the International Boxing Association, the now-banned former governing body of Olympic boxing, after what it claimed were failed eligibility tests for the womenB次元官网网址檚 competition.
Both had competed in IBA events for several years without problems, and the Russian-dominated body B次元官网网址� which has faced years of clashes with the IOC over judging scandals, leadership decisions and financial issues B次元官网网址� has refused to provide any information about the tests, underscoring its lack of transparency in nearly every aspect of its dealings, particularly in recent years.
B次元官网网址淟etB次元官网网址檚 be very clear here: We are talking about womenB次元官网网址檚 boxing,B次元官网网址� Bach said Saturday. B次元官网网址淲e have two boxers who are born as a woman, who have been raised a woman, who have a passport as a woman, and who have competed for many years as women. And this is the clear definition of a woman. There was never any doubt about them being a woman.B次元官网网址�
The IBA, which received the unprecedented punishment of being banned from Olympic participation in 2019 following years of conflict with the IOC, disqualified Khelif last year for what it said were elevated levels of testosterone.
The IBA, which is led by an acquaintance of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has not released more details on the tests, calling the process confidential.
B次元官网网址淲hat we see now is that some want to own the definition of who is a woman,B次元官网网址� Bach added. B次元官网网址淎nd there I can only invite them to come up with a scientific-based new definition of who is a woman, and how can somebody being born, raised, competed and having a passport as a woman cannot be considered a woman?
B次元官网网址淚f they are coming up with something, we are ready to listen,B次元官网网址� Bach added. B次元官网网址淲e are ready to look into it, but we will not take part in a sometimes politically motivated cultural war.B次元官网网址�
Khelif will clinch at least a bronze medal in her second Olympics after failing to medal at the Tokyo Games held in 2021.
Khelif will face Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand in the 66-kg semifinals on Tuesday at Roland Garros. Suwannpheng, a silver medalist at last yearB次元官网网址檚 world championships, upset defending Olympic champion Busenaz Surmeneli a few minutes before KhelifB次元官网网址檚 victory.
Lin, also a two-time Olympian, will clinch her first medal Sunday if she beats Svetlana Staneva of Bulgaria. Lin won her opening bout Friday comfortably over UzbekistanB次元官网网址檚 Sitora Turdibekova.
Amid the scrutiny, both Khelif and Lin have received only cheers from the crowds at North Paris Arena.
B次元官网网址淲hat is going on in this context in the social media, with all this hate speech, with all this aggression and abuse, and fueled by this agenda, is totally unacceptable,B次元官网网址� Bach said.
The reduced field at the Paris Olympics boxing tournament B次元官网网址� which has the fewest number of total boxers since 1956 B次元官网网址� means that many fighters can clinch medals with just two victories. Boxing awards two bronze medals in each weight class, which means every semifinalist wins a medal.
The Olympic sport reached gender parity for the first time in Paris, inviting 124 men and 124 women just 12 years after womenB次元官网网址檚 boxing made its Olympic debut.
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
Greg Beacham, The Associated Press
