Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer who failed a gender test prior to the 2024 Paris Olympics, has secured at least a bronze medal at the Summer Games after a decisive victory over a Hungarian opponent on Saturday.
Khelif triumphed over Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori in the 66-kilogram bout, winning by unanimous decision. This win guarantees Khelif a bronze medal even if she loses in the semifinals against Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng, as there are no bronze medal fights in her category.
Khelif has been embroiled in a gender eligibility controversy following her disqualification from the 2023 Women’s World Championships, which was sanctioned by the International Boxing Association.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach defended Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-Ting’s participation in the women’s division bouts, condemning the hate speech and abuse circulating on social media.
“What is going on in this context in the social media with all this hate speech, with this aggression and abuse, and fueled by this agenda, is totally unacceptable,” Bach stated.
The Algerian Olympic Committee announced that it had filed an official complaint with the IOC, protesting the online harassment against Khelif, which it described as “a serious violation of sports ethics and the Olympic Charter by one of the participants in the boxing tournament.”
The organization claimed that another boxer, whose identity was not disclosed, posted disparaging comments about Khelif and warned that the IOC “has issued a final warning to delete every post that concerns our heroine.”
“We reserve the right to prosecute everyone who participated in the heinous campaign against our heroine Imane Khelif,” the Algerian team declared.
Despite the controversy and protests from her own federation, Hamori was determined and ready for the fight.
“I’m not scared,” Hamori said on Thursday. “I don’t care about the press story and social media.”
Khelif advanced to the quarterfinals after Italy’s Angela Carini abandoned their match 46 seconds into the round of 16.