Algerian boxer Imane Khelif defeated Hungary's Luca Anna Hamori on points in the women's 66kg quarterfinals at North Paris Arena, guaranteeing her an Olympic Medal.
The win comes after Hamori commented on the firestorm that surrounded Khelif in the wake of her win over Italy's Angela Carini. In particular, Hamori believed it was unfair for her to fight someone like Khelif , despite the latter being a biological female.
"In my humble opinion I don't think it's fair that this contestant can compete in the women's category," Hamori posted on her personal social media accounts. "But I cannot concern myself with that now. I cannot change it, it's life. I can promise you one thing... I will do my best to win and I will fight as long as I can!"
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In the first round, it appeared as if both fighters did their best to knock the other out early, exchanging hits and generally getting an understanding of how their opponent was fighting. As the round progressed, it appeared as if Hamori began to understand Khelif's tendencies, but ultimately the Algerian won the scorecards.
The second round was just as vicious as the first, with both fighters exchanging blows, attempting to win the decisive round. Ultimately, Khelif once again won the round, forcing Hamori to knock out her opponent if she wanted a shot at a guaranteed medal.
However, the victory Hamori sought did not come, as she would be downed on points, as the large Algerian crowd on hand celebrated Khelif's impressive win. Along with the win, this matchup was devoid of any extracurricular drama as Hamori touched Khelif's gloves, a show of respect that the Algerian's previous opponent, Italy's Angela Carini, failed to do.
In Khelif's previous fight against Carini, the Italian created a firestorm around her Algerian opponent in the wake of the former's defeat. During the match, Carini was punched in the face by Khelif and withdrew just 46 seconds into the bout .
Shortly after leaving the ring in tears and refusing to shake Khelif's hand, Carini claimed that while she was used to "suffering," getting punched by Khelif made it "impossible to continue." Carini also claimed Khelif should not be allowed to compete against women because she had failed a gender test, showing the Algerian had "elevated levels of testosterone."
“I got into the ring to fight. But I didn’t feel like it anymore after the first minute," Carini explained after the fight. "I started to feel a strong pain in my nose. I didn’t give up, but a punch hurt too much and so I said enough. I’m leaving with my head held high.”
After being given a handful of days to reflect on the fight, Carini spoke to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport to explain how she feels "sad" about the controversy and firestorm surrounding her and Khelif. "If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision,” she told the outlet.
On ignoring Khelif and not shaking her hand, Carini said she didn't want to be disrespectful to the winner. “It wasn’t something I intended to do," she continued.
"Actually, I want to apologise to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke.” Carini added that if she had been given an opportunity, she would "embrace" Khelif.
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