Following a bittersweet run at this year’s Olympic Games- plagued with heartbreaking controversy and unexpected backlash – Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has been awarded a gold medal in the women’s 66kg division.
Following the staggering victory, the decorated athlete has now issued a parting message, taking aim at all those who wrongly questioned her presence at the games.
The athlete has been subjected to harsh criticism throughout the duration of the competition. (Aytac Unal/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The 25-year-old quickly became the focal point of a harrowing debate on gender rights in women’s sport, after her debut competitor accused the fight she won of being ‘not fair’.
Italy’s Angela Carini threw in the towel after just 46 seconds, before breaking down in tears and refusing to shake Khelif’s hand.
It quickly became apparent that the European sportswoman was referencing Khelif’s prior disqualification from the World Boxing Championships, after she failed a gender eligibility test.
International Boxing Association (IBA) president Umar Kremlev also claimed at the time that the unspecified test reportedly showed Khelif to have the XY chromosome.
As such, the North African fighter was subjected to harsh criticism from disgruntled spectators as part of a wider and equally devastating debate on transgender rights – though Khelif was born female.
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Angela Carini accused Khelif’s win of being ‘not fair’. (Fabio Bozzani/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Thankfully, however, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) rightly deemed Khelif, 25, eligible for competition, and she sailed through to the finals after knocking Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori and Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng, out of the competition.
It also looked as though Khelif used the controversial gender debate as fire to fuel her all the way to triumph last night, which saw her take down China’s Yang Liu in a nail-biting bid for Gold.
She was handed the prestigious medal after a unanimous decision over five rounds to win welterweight gold.
Following her incredible victory, Khelif – who has previously spoken out about the ‘bullying’ she was subjected to throughout the tournament – issued a final, powering message to spectators.
„As for whether I qualify or not, whether I’m a woman or not – I have made many statements in the media – I am fully qualified to take part in this competition,” the champion said.
Khelif issued a plea to ‘bullies’. (Aytac Unal/Anadolu via Getty Images)
„I’m a woman like any other woman. I was born a woman, I lived a woman, I competed as a woman. There’s no doubt about that.”
Recalling the backlash she has faced in recent weeks, she continued: „There are enemies, enemies of success. This is what I call them.
„These are the enemies of success. And that also gives my success a special taste because of these attacks.”
Khelif then went on to confirm that, despite it all, she never lost sight of why she’d arrived in Paris.
„First and foremost, the Olympics is a dream, it’s a dream for every athlete,” she explained.
„Here in Paris, thank God, the whole world, the Arab world, the Algerians, they all know how hard I worked.
„I think that the whole world now knows the story of Imane Khelif. I’m from a very small village, from a very small family. I was born and raised in poor neighbourhoods.
The athlete had a final message to spectators. (Aytac Unal/Anadolu via Getty Images)
„But my family was always proud of me, they always supported me in this sport.”
Khelif went on to plead: „My message to the whole world is that they should commit to Olympic principles and they should avoid bullying.
„They should not bully people. This is a message of the Olympics. The Olympic values are extremely important and I hope that people will stop bullying.
„I hope that we will not see any similar attacks in future Olympics.”
„The attacks I heard on social media were extremely bad, they were meaningless, and they impact the dignity of people,” she continued.
„All the women that came to support me today sent a message, saying that our honour is above everything else.”