“My name is Sarah.”
Khelif voiced that opinion after defeating Hungarian fighter Anna Luca Hamori. After winning, Khelif advanced to the semifinals. In boxing, there are no semifinals, so Khelif is guaranteed a bronze medal at the very least.
In the background is an image of Angela Carini from Italy, followed by Imane Khelif from Algeria. (Reuter’s Isabel Infantes)
The IOC president, Thomas Bach, had earlier on Saturday backed Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting and Khelif. Midway through the world championships last year, Khelif and Lin were disqualified by the IBA, the former body that oversaw Olympic boxing, for allegedly lacking proper eligibility testing.
The Russian-dominated organization, which has been at odds with the IOC for years, has declined to divulge any details regarding the testing, underscoring its lack of openness in nearly all of its interactions, particularly in the last few years. They had both taken part in IBA competitions for a number of years without any problems.
Imane Khelif of Algeria is shown here before her match against Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary on August 3, 2024, at the Olympic Games in Paris. (Getty Images via AFP; MOHD RASFAN))
“Let’s be very clear: We are talking about women’s boxing,” Bach said on Saturday. “We have two boxers who have competed as women for many years; they were born and raised as women, and they have a passport issued to them as such. And this is the exact definition of a lady. There was never any doubt about their identify as a woman.
The IOC concluded that the IBA’s testing were “flawed.”
Irene Khelif’s mother praised her daughter and called the boxer “courageous despite racist and sexist attacks to break her” when she appeared on Algerian television after the bout.
The argument got even more heated when Khelif’s last opponent, Italian Angela Carini, forfeited their fight 46 seconds into it.
On August 3, 2024, at the Paris Olympic Games, Algeria’s Imane Khelif celebrates defeating Hungary’s Anna Hamori Luca. (Image by AP/John Locher)
On Tuesday at 4:34 p.m. ET, Khelif will square off against Thai boxer Janjaem Suwannapheng in an attempt to win a gold medal.