Fans cheered them on

Final! Controversial boxer Khelif fights for gold

Imane Khelif is now competing for gold.

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The controversial Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has not allowed the discussions surrounding her to affect her and has reached the final after a clear victory in the semi-final. She received support from the stands during her semi-final fight against Janjaem Suwannapheng from Thailand. 

Imane Khelif, who is at the center of a gender debate, has fought her way through to the Olympic final. The 25-year-old Algerian beat Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng unanimously on points in the semi-final of the welterweight (up to 66 kg) late on Tuesday evening.

Once again, Khelif was loudly cheered on by numerous Algerian fans in the boxing arena in Paris. They waved Algerian flags and chanted her name. Her hits were celebrated loudly. In the final, she will face either Chen Nien Chin from Taiwan or Yang Liu from China.

Fierce debates in the run-up
There is a fierce controversy surrounding Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting from Taiwan over the right to compete in Paris. Both boxers were excluded from last year's World Championships following tests about which the International Boxing Association (IBA), which is no longer recognized by the International Olympic Committee, provides no further details. According to the IBA, neither of them had met the required participation criteria and had "competitive advantages compared to other female participants".

The IOC called this an "arbitrary decision without due process" and is allowing Lin and Khelif to compete in Paris. "There was never any doubt that they were women," IOC President Thomas Bach reiterated several times.