Imane Khelif says she “doesn’t care” about the controversy swirling over her inclusion in the women’s 66kg boxing category at the Paris Olympics after storming into the gold medal match with a unanimous points win over Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand.
Hundreds of flag-waving Algerian supporters turned the normally genteel surroundings of Phillippe-Chatrier Court at Roland Garros into a cauldron of noise in support of Khelif, who is at the centre of a gender eligibility row.
Having avoided the huge media scrum after her previous bouts, Khelif broke her silence to maintain: “I don’t care what anyone is saying about me with the controversy.
“All that is important to me is that I stay on the level and give my people the performance they deserve. I know I’m a talented person and this is a gift to all Algerians.”
Chants of “Imane” tumbled down from the stands as Khelif, who is one of two boxers caught up in the ongoing row, dominated Suwannapheng to confirm she will get the chance to emulate compatriot Hocine Soltani, who won lightweight gold in 1996.
The participation of Khelif and Chinese Taipei featherweight Lin Yu-ting has caused an international storm since Khelif beat Angela Carini of Italy in just 46 seconds in her opening bout last Thursday.
Both Khelif and Lin were disqualified by the International Boxing Association (IBA) during last year’s World Championships for failing to meet gender eligibility criteria.
However, the IBA, which was was expelled by the International Olympic Commitee (IOC) over financial and corruption concerns, has failed to provide any proof of its findings.
On Monday, an IBA press conference descended into farce as controversial president Umar Kremlev made baseless claims about Lin and Khelif and launched an astonishing tirade against IOC president Thomas Bach.
Khelif and Lin were allowed to return to competition by the IOC, which is effectively administering the Paris 2024 boxing tournament in the IBA’s absence.
The case has aroused global interest, with figures such as former United States president Donald Trump and Harry Potter author JK Rowling weighing in on the issue.
Khelif won every round on the judges’ cards, appearing close to securing a stoppage at times, and celebrated with a victory jig in the ring as the Algerian supporters celebrated wildly.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here