Watch: Olympics Gender Row Boxer Imane Khelif Cries After Getting Assured Of Bronze
The Algerian boxer embroiled in a major gender controversy guaranteed herself at least bronze at the Paris Olympics on Saturday, bursting into tears after winning her quarter-final. Imane Khelif, who has found herself in the eye of a global storm along with another boxer from Taiwan, beat Hungary's Anna Luca Hamori with a unanimous points decision to reach the semi-finals of the women's 66kg category. The duo embraced at the end, before the judges' verdict was delivered, and an animated Khelif left the ring in tears.
IMANE KHELIF S'IMPOSE ET FOND EN LARMES.
HAGROUHA ! s'exclame son entraneur! #Paris2024 #IstandWithImaneKhelif pic.twitter.com/Ob0cs5qvzy
Losing semi-finalists in the boxing take home bronze.
Some of the crowd at North Paris Arena, where there were a large number of Algerians, chanted Khelif's name ahead of the bout and cheered her into the ring.
Hamori, who had said it was unfair to face Khelif, was booed into the venue but was magnanimous in defeat.
Khelif faces Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand in the last four on Tuesday for a place in the final.
"This is a matter of dignity and honour for every woman or female," the 25-year-old Khelif told BeIN Sports after a second dominant victory in Paris, having dismantled her opening opponent in 46 seconds.
"The entire Arab people have known me for years. For years I have been boxing in international federation competitions, they (IBA) were unfair with me. But I have God."
Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting can also guarantee herself at least a bronze medal on Sunday when she faces Bulgaria's Svetlana Staneva in the quarter-finals of the women's 57kg.
Khelif and Lin were disqualified from last year's world championships, run by the International Boxing Association (IBA), after