Algerian boxer Imane Khelif defeats Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng, advances to gold medal bout

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif defeated Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng in the semifinals of the women’s welterweight division in boxing action at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Tuesday.

Khelif advanced to the gold medal match with the victory, while Suwannapheng has earned a bronze medal.

Imane Khelif, who has been the topic of much controversy throughout the Olympics, controlled the boxing match throughout, winning all three rounds.

She was the heavy favorite leading up to the match and was never seriously threatened.

Khelif has been at the center of controversy throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics because of her gender. She was disqualified from the 2023 women’s world championships after IBA testing, and the scrutiny increased after Italian boxer Angela Carini withdrew and forfeited early in their match in the Olympics.

The reason for Khelif’s disqualification in 2023 was because testing showed she had an XY chromosome. However, she has identified as a woman since birth, and the presence of XY chromosomes in cisgender women is a known medical phenomenon called Swyer syndrome. The IBA has not released any further details on the disqualifying test.

The backlash was fierce as many labeled Khelif as transgender. As she advanced in the Olympics, the outcry continued, and she issued a message during an interview about bullying athletes.

“I send a message to all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes, because this has effects, massive effects,” Khelif said in Arabic, per the Associated Press. “It can destroy people, it can kill people’s thoughts, spirit and mind. It can divide people. And because of that, I ask them to refrain from bullying.”

She added: “I am in contact with my family two days a week. I hope that they weren’t affected deeply. They are worried about me. God willing, this crisis will culminate in a gold medal, and that would be the best response.”

The IBA – with which the IOC cut ties due to corruption and lack of transparency – added to the controversy late last week. During a press conference, the organization created more confusion with comments about both Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, who was also disqualified in 2023 due to testing.

“We didn’t check what was between their legs,” said Umar Kremlev, President of the IBA, regarding the status of Khelif and Yu-ting, per Jonathan Crane. “They have men’s levels of testosterone. We don’t know if there were born like men or some changes intervened [sic] at a later stage.”