Imane Khelif, the boxer at the centre of a gender dispute, beat Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng by unanimous decision in a welterweight semifinal fight
Khelif, a silver medallist at the 2022 worlds, and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting have been in the spotlight at the Olympics
Khelif and Lin were disqualified by the International Boxing Association from the 2023 World Championships in New Delhi
with the body saying in a shambolic press conference on Monday that a sex chromosome test had ruled both of them ineligible
At those World Championships, Khelif beat Suwannapheng by unanimous decision in the semi-finals before being disqualified
Suwannapheng competed in the final after Khelif’s disqualification and won silver
Khelif and Lin are competing in the Olympics after the International Olympic Committee stripped the IBA of its status as the sport’s governing body in 2023
IOC took control of organising the boxing in Paris
The IOC has rejected the results of the IBA-ordered tests as arbitrary and illegitimate, saying there was no reason to conduct them
At these Games, the IOC is using boxing eligibility rules that were applied at the 2016 and 2021 Olympics which do not include gender testing
Algerian fans flocked into a repurposed Court Philippe Chatrier, devoid of its iconic red clay, looking to support Khelif and screamed “Imane, Imane, Imane” ahead of the bout
Khelif waited until her opponent left the ring before celebrating, jogging on the spot with an enormous grin on her face
before leaving and shadow-boxing her way to the doctor’s station for a quick medical check
Khelif will face Yang Liu of China in the final on Friday