- The fighter had previously been banned for having a male XY chromosome.
- She has been the subject of homophobic and transphobic comments.
- She overcame adversity to win gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Thousands of supporters flooded the streets of Algeria and went into full party mode to celebrate boxer Imane Khelif’s historic gold medal victory at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Khelif defeated China’s Yang Liu 5-0 in the women’s welterweight gold medal match on Friday night in Paris, closing out the best series of fights of her boxing career with victory at Roland Garros.
DJs lined the streets of major Algerian cities and flares were let off as locals celebrated their second gold medal in Paris after Kaylia Nemour broke a 12-year medal drought by winning her gymnastics event.
This comes after a major gender scandal involving the boxer, who had previously been banned by the International Boxing Association for allegedly failing a gender test.
World leaders including Donald Trump and Giorgia Meloni, top celebrities and others questioned her eligibility or falsely claimed she was a man, thrusting Khelif into a larger divide over changing attitudes toward gender identity and regulations in sports.
Algerian media outlet El Khabar celebrated the victory and criticised public figures who had spread misinformation about Khelif, who was born with the male XY chromosome, including calling her transgender and a man.
“Iman’s victory today is also revenge for having lost the opportunity to win the world championship against the same Chinese woman a year ago after the unfair decision of the International Boxing Federation,” the outlet wrote.
Imane Khelif kisses the gold medal she won despite the gender controversy surrounding her at the Paris Olympics
Thousands of Algerian fans took to the streets to celebrate their new Olympic champion
The Algerian Olympic champion not only fought in the ring, but also faced a despicable international campaign, in which even billionaire Elon Musk and former US President Donald Trump were involved.
‘But the Algerian stood his ground and did not suffer these dirty practices, to respond today with all his strength, deservedly winning the gold medal.’
France’s huge Algerian community also embraced Khelif during the Games, with the Philippe-Chartier indoor court, which usually hosts the French Open tennis tournament, roaring with chants of “Imane, Imane” during her final bout.
Khelif defeated China’s Yang Liu in the gold medal match and the two shared a warm hug after the fight.
And Khelif received an outpouring of support on social media for winning gold despite the ongoing controversy surrounding her.
“This is a well-deserved win after all the hate and unwarranted vitriol she’s had to endure,” one viewer posted.
‘Imane Khelif sold scrap metal to pay for her boxing training, is a UNICEF ambassador, faced horrific bullying and is now an Olympic champion,’ added another.
“She gagged her haters! I’m so happy for her omg,” another posted.
Khelif said the level of abuse “damages human dignity” and that a gold medal would be “the best response” to the backlash.
“I am fully qualified to participate in this competition. I am a woman,” she said at the press conference after the fight.
‘I was born a woman, I have lived as a woman and I have competed as a woman.
“There is no doubt that there are enemies of success, and that gives my success a special flavor because of these attacks.”
