Algeria’s Mane Khelif hits Janjaem Suwannapheng. Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Imane Khelif, the Algerian welterweight who struggled with gender misconceptions at the 2024 Olympics, will fight for the gold medal.
Khelif, 25, from Tiaret, Algeria, dominated Thai rival Janjaem Suwannapheng at Roland Garros in Paris, winning 5-0 to advance to the 66-kilogram final on Friday, August 9. There, she will face Chinese Yang Liu, who won her semi-final match against Taiwanese Chen Nien Chin 4-1.
Khelif controlled an basic first round as Suwannapheng struggled to get under the Algerian boxer’s long left jab. Suwannapheng increased her aggression in the second round but continued to struggle to close as Khelif used footwork and counterpunches to keep the fight at a distance that favored her 5’10”.
Khelif’s technical mastery continued into the third round, when a pair of right hands snapped Suwannapheng’s head back for eight standing punches. After the decision was announced, Khelif danced excitedly, preparing to box for a chance to become the North African country’s second female boxing gold medalist, following Hocine Soltani, who won gold in the 60-kilogram weight class at the 1996 Olympics.
While Khelif’s dominance in the ring was noteworthy, the controversy surrounding her inclusion in the Olympics drew far more headlines. Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting were among two female boxers denied entry to last year’s World Championships over claims they failed an unspecified gender qualification test.
The world championships are organized by the International Boxing Association, which has been forced to change its name several times and is permanently banned from overseeing Olympic boxing due to management and financial problems. The IBA is headed by Umar Kremlev, a Russian citizen with ties to Vladimir Putin, who oversaw the organization’s headquarters move from Switzerland to Russia.
The controversy hit the headlines last week when Italian Angela Corini pulled out of her fight with Khelif just 46 seconds into the bout, claiming she had been hit harder than she had ever been before.
However, neither of Khelif’s next two opponents were significantly affected by his blows.
International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams told The Associated Press earlier this week that the IBA’s gender tests “are not legal,” while IOC President Thomas Bach suggested the outrage against the two boxers was part of a campaign by Russia.
“We have two boxers who were born female, who were raised female, who have a passport as a female and have been competing as a female for many years,” Bach said. “Some people want to have their own definition of what a woman is.”
Kellie Harrington, a 34-year-old Irish boxer from Dublin, won her second consecutive gold medal, beating China’s Yang Wenlu 4-1 in the women’s 60-kilogram final.
Harrington, who also won the title in the category at the Tokyo Olympics, later told reporters she planned to go to the summit to watch the sunset.
“One last hurrah, I’m done. I’ve always said I wanted to finish as a champion, that’s all,” Harrington told RTE.
“It gives hope to all these newborn kids, all these teenagers. It gives hope to people in Ireland, but it was for me.”
Harrington says he plans to focus on his life with his wife Mandy.
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