PARIS: Paris Olympic medalist Imane Khelif has declared that she is a woman.
The Algerian welterweight boxer, who has been at the centre of controversy regarding her eligibility to compete in the women's category in Paris, defeated Hungary's Luca Anna Hamori to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
Khelif was disqualified from last year's World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) after being discovered to have male features in a gender test. But she was allowed to compete this year by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
"I want to tell the whole world that I am a woman and will remain a woman.
"Thankfully, this is the first women's boxing medal for Algeria. I want to tell the people of Algeria that I won this medal for Algeria and the Arab world," said Khelif after defeating Anna Hamori.
Khelif will face Thai boxer Janjaem Suwannapheng in the semi-finals in her quest for a place in the final.
Khelif, together with Taiwanese Lin Yu-Ting, were allowed to compete in the Paris Olympics despite having their participation in last year's Women's World Championships cancelled.
The regulations concerning testosterone levels in female athletes had gained attention in the sports world following the case of Caster Semenya.
The South African runner was also suspected of being male due to having higher testosterone levels compared with typical women.
She was not allowed to compete in the Tokyo Olympics after the World Athletics implemented its new regulations at that time.
However, one year later, the IOC cancelled its policy of monitoring testosterone levels.