Imane Khelif secured Algeria’s gold medal at the Paris Olympics by defeating China’s Yang Liu 5-0 in the women’s welterweight division.
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While celebrating her win in the ring, Khelif said that she waited eight years to secure an Olympic gold medal and that the attacks on her gender only fueled her spark to dominate. “For eight years, this has been my dream, and now I’m an Olympic champion and gold medalist,” she shared with an interpreter. “We are in the Olympics to perform as athletes, and I hope we will not see any similar attacks in future Olympics,” she continued. According to the Associated Press, fans supported Khelif as she was targeted by world leaders, celebrities, and others who questioned her eligibility.
Earlier this week, Khelif said she didn’t care about the controversy and just wanted to put on a good match for spectators. “I wish to be ready and show a good standard, show my talent, because I want to entertain everyone,” she explained to the outlet. The controversy began after Khelif defeated Italy’s Angela Carini in 46 seconds, and Carini withdrew from the fight, stating, “This is unjust.”
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Following her match with Carini, Khelif defeated Thailand’s Janjea Suwannapheng by another 5-0 decision in the semifinals to secure her gold medal match. Fans on social media celebrated Khelif’s win and her drive to continue winning despite the controversy.
Khelif began her career in 2018 at the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships. To pay for her boxing classes, she had to sell scrap metal. Initially, her father did not approve of her participation in the sport because he didn’t think it was suitable for girls.
“Imane is a little girl that has loved sport since she was six-years-old”