unilad homepage
unilad homepage
    • News
      • UK News
      • US News
      • World News
      • Crime
      • Health
      • Money
      • Sport
      • Travel
    • Music
    • Technology
    • Film and TV
      • News
      • DC Comics
      • Disney
      • Marvel
      • Netflix
    • Celebrity
    • Politics
    • Advertise
    • Terms
    • Privacy & Cookies
    • LADbible Group
    • LADbible
    • SPORTbible
    • GAMINGbible
    • Tyla
    • UNILAD Tech
    • FOODbible
    • License Our Content
    • About Us & Contact
    • Jobs
    • Latest
    • Archive
    • Topics A-Z
    • Authors
    Facebook
    Instagram
    X
    Threads
    TikTok
    YouTube
    Submit Your Content
    Boxer Imane Khelif gives defiant statement as she advances to final amid ongoing gender row

    Home> News> Sport

    Updated 08:10 7 Aug 2024 GMT+1Published 07:29 7 Aug 2024 GMT+1

    Boxer Imane Khelif gives defiant statement as she advances to final amid ongoing gender row

    Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has bit back at haters as she secured herself at least a sliver medal at the Paris Olympics

    Joe Yates

    Joe Yates

    google discoverFollow us on Google Discover
    Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Matthew Stockman/Richard Pelham

    Topics: Boxing, France, Olympics, Imane Khelif

    Joe Yates
    Joe Yates

    Joe is a journalist for UNILAD, who particularly enjoys writing about crime. He has worked in journalism for five years, and has covered everything from murder trials to celeb news.

    X

    @JMYjourno

    Advert

    Advert

    Advert

    The boxer at the centre of a gender row at the 2024 Paris Olympics has made it to the final of the Women's 66kg boxing welterweight division.

    Algerian Imane Khelif, who failed an unspecified IBA gender test last year but has been defended by the Olympic committee, has secured herself at least a silver medal if not gold - if she can better her opponent Yang Liu, of China, on Friday (August 9).

    Khelif has won the semi-final. (MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images)
    Khelif has won the semi-final. (MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images)

    Yesterday (August 6), the Olympian won her semi-final match against Thai boxer Janjaem Suwannapheng via a unanimous result.

    Advert

    Now, Khelif has addressed the media and gave a defiant statement to silence the haters.

    She said: "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."

    Her name could be heard being chanted by her compatriots in the crowd at Phillippe-Chatrier Court at Roland Garros, with a large portion of it being taken up by multiple Algerian flags being waved.

    Khelif's latest victory comes after the 25-year-old - who was born and raised as a girl - was disqualified from the 2023 World Championships for failing an unspecified gender eligibility test.

    Khelif is advancing to the finals. (MAURO PIMENTEL/AFP via Getty Images)
    Khelif is advancing to the finals. (MAURO PIMENTEL/AFP via Getty Images)

    Khelif and fellow Olympian Lin Yu-ting, a Taiwanese boxer fighting under Chinese Taipei, were disqualified.

    IBA president Umar Kremlev, a friend of Vladimir Putin, claimed the test 'proved' they had XY chromosomes.

    However, it is worth noting that the IBA was completely stripped of its Olympic credentials five years ago.

    The Olympic Committee previously released a statement reaffirming Khelif's eligibility to compete in the Games, saying that 'every person has the right to practise sport without discrimination'.

    In the face of worldwide scrutiny, both athletes guaranteed themselves a medal at this summer's Olympics, which is being held in Paris for the first time in 100 years.

    While the gender row was always prevalent going into the competition, the storm started to take shape after she beat Italy's Angela Carini in just 46 seconds - with Carini throwing in the towel.

    Since then, Khelif's own father has has weighed in on the row surrounding his daughter's appearance at the Olympics.

    During an interview with French TV station BFMTV, Omar Khelif showed his daughter's birth certificate to viewers to prove that she was born a girl.

    Team USA's current medal count - 86

    Gold medalists

    Amit Elor won gold in wrestling (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
    Amit Elor won gold in wrestling (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
    • Lee Kiefer: Fencing - Women's individual foil
    • Torri Huske: Swimming - Women's 100m butterfly
    • Jack Alexj, Chris Guiliano, Hunter Armstrong, Caeleb Dressel, Ryan Held, Matt King: Swimming - Men's 4x100m freestyle
    • Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, Hezly Rivera: Artistic Gymnastics - Women's team competition
    • Katie Ledecky: Swimming - Women's 1500m freestyle
    • Nick Mead, Justin Best, Michael Grady and Liam Corrigan: Rowing - Men's coxless four
    • Jacqueline Dubrovich, Lee Kiefer, Lauren Scruggs, Maia Mei Weintraub - Fencing: Women's foil team
    • Simone Biles: Artistic Gymnastics - Women's individual all-around
    • Kate Douglass: Swimming - Women's 200m breaststroke
    • Simone Biles: Artistic Gymnastics - Women's vault
    • Vincent Hancock: Shooting - Men's skeet
    • Ryan Crouser: Athletics - Men's shot put
    • Katie Ledecky: Swimming - Women's 800m freestyle
    • Nic Fink, Torri Huske, Ryan Murphy, Gretchen Walsh: Swimming - Mixed 4x100m medley relay
    • Bobby Finke: Swimming - Men's 1500m freestyle
    • Kristen Faulkner: Cycling - Women's road race
    • Scottie Scheffler: Golf - Men's individual stroke play
    • Noah Lyles: Athletics - Men's 100m
    • Regan Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske: Swimming - Women's 4x100m medley relay
    • Valarie Allman: Athletics - Women's discus throw
    • Caroline Marks: Surfing - Women's Shortboard
    • Cole Hocker: Track and field - Men's 1500m
    • Gabby Thomas: Track and field - Women's 200m
    • Amit Elor: Wrestling - Women's freestyle 68kg

    Silver medalists

    Annette Echikunwoke won silver in the hammer throw (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
    Annette Echikunwoke won silver in the hammer throw (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
    • Nic Fink: Swimming - Men's 100m breaststroke
    • Lauren Scruggs: Fencing - Women's individual foil
    • Gretchen Walsh: Swimming - Women's 100m butterfly
    • Haley Batten: Mountain Bike - Women's cross country
    • Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh. Torri Huske, Simone Manuel, Erika Connolly, Abbey Weitzel: Swimming - Women's 4x100m freestyle
    • Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook: Diving - Women's springboard 3m synchronised
    • Katie Grimes: Swimming - Women's 400m individual medley
    • Jagger Eaton: Skateboarding - Men's street
    • Regan Smith: Swimming - Women's 100m backstroke
    • Bobby Finke: Swimming - Men's 800m freestyle
    • Carson Foster, Brooks Curry, Chris Guiliano, Luke Hobson, Drew Kibler, Blake Pieroni, Kieran Smith: Swimming - Men, 4x200m freestyle
    • Perris Benegas: Cycling - Women's BMX freestyle
    • Torri Huske: Swimming - Women's 100m freestyle
    • Regan Smith: Swimming - Women's 200m butterfly
    • Erin Gemell, Katie Ledecky, Paige Madden, Simone Manuel, Anna Peplowski, Alex Shackell, Claire Weinstein: Swimming - Women's 4x200m freestyle
    • Karl Cook, Laura Kraut, McLain Ward: Equestrian - Jumping team
    • Sagen Maddalena: Shooting - Women, 50m rifle 3 positions
    • Regan Smith: Swimming - Women's 200m backstroke
    • Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram: Tennis - Men's doubles
    • Conner Prince: Shooting - Men's skeet
    • Joe Kovacs: Athletics - Men's shot put
    • Kaylyn Brown, Bryce Deadmon, Shamier Little, Vernon Norwood: Athletics - 4x400m relay mixed
    • Sha'Carri Richardson: Athletics - Women's 100m
    • Kate Douglass: Swimming - Women's 200m individual medley
    • Brady Ellison: Archery: Men's individual
    • Hunter Armstrong, Caeleb Dressel, Nic Fink, Ryan Murphy: Swimming - Men's 4x100m medley relay
    • Seth Rider, Taylor Spivey, Morgan Pearson and Taylor Knibb: Triathlon - Mixed relay
    • Simone Biles: Artistic Gymnastics - Women's floor exercise
    • Sam Kendricks: Athletics - Men's pole vault
    • Vincent Hancock and Jewell Austen Smith: Shooting - Mixed team skeet
    • Annette Nneka Echikunwoke: Track and field - Women's hammer throw

    Bronze medalists

    Omari Jones won bronze in boxing (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
    Omari Jones won bronze in boxing (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
    • Carson Foster: Swimming - Men's 400m individual medley
    • Katie Ledecky: Swimming - Women's 400m freestyle
    • Chloe Dygert: Cycling - Women's individual time trial
    • Frederick Richard, Brody Malone, Stephen Nedoroscik, Paul Juda, Asher Hong: Artistic Gymnastics - Men's team competition
    • Nick Itkin: Fencing - Men's foil individual
    • Emma Weyant: Swimming - Women's 400m individual medley
    • Ryan Murphy: Swimming - Men's 100m backstroke
    • Luke Hobson: Swimming - Men's 200m freestyle
    • Nyjah Huston: Skateboarding - Men's street
    • Ilona Maher, Kayla Canett, Lauren Doyle, Alev Kelter, Kristi Kirshe, Sarah Levy, Alena Olsen, Ariana Ramsey, Steph Rovetti, Alex Sedrick, Sammy Sullivan, Naya Tapper: Rugby 7s - Women's team competition
    • Katharine Berkoff: Swimming - Women's 100m backstroke
    • Evy Leibfarth: Canoe slalom - Women's Canoe Single
    • Suni Lee: Artistic Gymnastics - Women's individual all-around
    • Casey Kaufhold, Brady Ellison: Archery - Mixed Team
    • Grant Fisher: Athletics - Men's 10,000m
    • Ian Barrows and Hans Henken: Sailing - Men's skiff
    • Henry Hollingsworth, Nick Rusher, Christian Tabash, Clark Dean, Chris Carlson, Peter Chatain, Evan Olson, Pieter Quinton: Rowing - Men's eight
    • Stephen Nedoroscik: Gymnastics - Men's pommel horse
    • Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul: Tennis - Men's doubles
    • Jade Carey: Artistic Gymnastics - Women's vault
    • Jasmine Moore: Athletics - Women's triple jump
    • Melissa Jefferson: Athletics - Women's 100m
    • Paige Madden: Swimming - Women's 800m freestyle
    • Suni Lee: Artistic Gymnastics - Women's uneven bars
    • Austen Jewell Smith: Shooting - Women's skeet
    • Fred Kerley: Athletics - Men's 100m
    • Jordan Chiles: Artistic Gymnastics - Women's floor exercise
    • Cierra Burdick, Dearica Hamby, Rhyne Howard, Hailey van Lith: 3x3 basketball - Women's competition
    • Yared Nuguse: Track and field: Men's 1500m
    • Brittany Brown: Track and field - Women's 200m
    • Omari Jones: Boxing - Men's 71kg

    Choose your content:

    3 mins ago
    an hour ago
    2 hours ago
    • Getty
      3 mins ago

      Trump claims King and Queen got him to do something 'nobody else was able to do' during state visit

      The King has since expressed his 'gratitude' for the decision made by Trump

      News
    • Getty Stock Image
      an hour ago

      Map shows America's most disliked state as 25 percent of its own residents agree

      Some of America's most successful states are also among its most disliked

      News
    • Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
      an hour ago

      Trump threatens to pull troops out of three countries and slams 'horrible' ally

      Some of America's closest military allies could see US troops disappear for the first time since World War Two

      News
    • Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images
      2 hours ago

      Biohacker Bryan Johnson details girlfriend's intimate microbiome score after bizarre message

      The biohacker wasn't holding back on the intimate details - with graphs to prove it

      News
    • Olympic boxer Imane Khelif has message for Trump after president criticized her amid gender controversy
    • WWE star slams people attacking boxer Imane Khelif amid gender controversy
    • Eye-watering amount of money Imane Khelif will earn for winning Olympic gold after gender controversy
    • IBA chief boldly demands Imane Khelif and other Olympic boxer provide proof 'they were born women'