PARIS: The Algerian boxer embroiled in a major gender controversy guaranteed herself at least bronze at the Paris Olympics after winning her quarter-final on Saturday (Aug 3) on unanimous points.
Imane Khelif, who has found herself in the eye of a global storm along with another boxer from Taiwan, comfortably beat Hungary's Anna Luca Hamori to reach the semi-finals of the women's 66kg category.
The duo embraced at the end, before the judges' verdict was delivered, and Khelif left the ring in tears.
Some of the crowd at North Paris Arena, where there were a large number of Algerians, chanted Khelif's name ahead of the bout and cheered her into the ring.
Hamori, who had said it was unfair to face Khelif, was booed into the venue but was magnanimous in defeat.
Khelif faces Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand in the last four on Tuesday for a place in the final.
Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting can also guarantee herself at least a bronze medal on Sunday (Aug 4) when she faces Bulgaria's Svetlana Staneva in the quarter-finals of the women's 57kg.
Losing semi-finalists in the boxing take home bronze.
Khelif and Lin were disqualified from last year's world championships after failing gender eligibility tests.
The controversy ignited on Thursday (Aug 1) when Khelif needed just 46 seconds to win her opening bout in the French capital, forcing an abandonment against her hurt and tearful Italian opponent Angela Carini.
Carini, who suffered a badly hurt nose and was distressed, collapsed to the centre of the ring in tears.
The 25-year-old Khelif and Lin, 28, both competed at the Tokyo Games three years ago, where they failed to win a medal.
They were then disqualified from the 2023 world championships, run by the International Boxing Association (IBA).
The IBA said this week that the two boxers "did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognised test, whereby the specifics remain confidential."
The boxing in Paris is organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which took over because of governance, financial and ethical issues at the IBA.
The IOC has leapt to the defence of Khelif and Lin, with president Thomas Bach on Saturday saying they were born and raised as women, and have passports saying that.
Neither boxer is known to identify as transgender.
Khelif's father Omar told AFP from their Algerian village: "My child is a girl.
"She was raised as a girl. She is a strong girl – I raised her to work and be brave." — AFP