Imane Khelif made history as the first women's boxer from Algeria to earn an Olympic medal, then took a moment to address the controversy surrounding her gender.
Khelif's participation in the Paris Olympics came under scrutiny when the International Boxing Association released a statement on July 31 saying she failed to meet the criteria to compete as a woman in the 2023 world championships. That led to several false reports that Khelif was transgender.
After defeating Hungarian boxer Anna Luca Hamori in the quarterfinal to clinch at least a bronze medal, Khelif made a strong statement putting the false reports to rest.
“I want to tell the entire world that I am a female, and I will remain a female,” she said.
The initial ruling from the IBA has also come under question, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned the organization from overseeing boxing at the Paris Olympics.
Thomas Back, IOC president, said that both Khelif and Lin Yu-ting, another boxer disqualified by the IBA last year, are women.
“We have two boxers who were born as women, who have been raised as women, who have a passport as a woman, and who have competed for many years as women,” Bach said .
Related: Barack Obama's Powerful Words On Simone Biles' Performance At The Paris Olympics
Khelif still has a chance again at the Paris Olympics, facing a semifinal match against Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng on August 6 with a trip to the gold medal match on the line. Both losing fighters will receive a bronze medal.
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