An Olympic boxing competition that briefly seemed to be about questions about gender, eligibility and international politics proved on Tuesday to be simply about sports, with one fighter beating another without inquiry or controversy.
Imane Khelif of Algeria, the boxer whose eligibility was questioned after her first-round victory and then vigorously defended by the International Olympic Committee, won her weight division’s semifinal bout by unanimous decision. She will fight for a gold medal at the Paris Games on Friday.
Khelif beat her opponent, Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand, through precise and effective striking and quick footwork. After the result was announced, she celebrated in the middle of the ring, joyfully raising her hand.
“I am very happy,” she said through an interpreter, standing with the red, green and white Algerian flag draped on her shoulders. “I’ve worked eight years for these Olympics and I’m very proud of this moment.” The Algerian president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, congratulated Khelif on social media.
The uproar surrounding Khelif, 25, had its roots at last year’s boxing world championships in India, where she and another boxer, Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan, were ruled ineligible to compete after they underwent unspecified blood tests. The International Boxing Association, which ran the tournament and disqualified the fighters, never fully explained its decisions, saying that Khelif and Lin “did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test.”
The International Olympic Committee, which no longer recognizes the I.B.A. as boxing’s governing authority, allowed Khelif and Lin to compete in the Paris Games, saying their disqualifications in 2023 had been “sudden and arbitrary,” and that “every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination.” The I.O.C. said plainly that the boxers are women. Lin will fight in the semifinal of her weight division on Wednesday.
In her first bout, Khelif defeated Angela Carini of Italy, who quit just 46 seconds into the fight after absorbing a powerful blow to the face. Later, she sobbed and told reporters she had “never felt a punch like this.” Khelif’s eligibility was questioned, including by the British author J.K. Rowling and the billionaire Elon Musk. Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s prime minister, told reporters, “Athletes who have male genetic characteristics should not be admitted to female competitions.”
Carini has since apologized to Khelif, telling an Italian media outlet, “All this controversy certainly made me sad.” Khelif, in an interview with the news service SNTV, denounced the treatment she’s received and thanked the I.O.C. for its support.
“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. “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.”
In a chaotic news conference on Monday, officials of the I.B.A. offered no documentation for their decision to suspend the two fighters. The organization is backed by the Russian energy giant Gazprom, which has led I.O.C. officials and others to suggest the boxing controversy was calculated to discredit the Paris Games after Russia was excluded from them because of its invasion of Ukraine.
Khelif’s fight Tuesday was attended by a large contingent of Algerian fans, who cheered loudly for her as she walked to the ring and waved their country’s flag. She touched gloves with Suwannapheng before and during the match in a sign of good sportsmanship.
After the bout, Suwannapheng, who was awarded a bronze medal in the loss, said she had heard about the controversy but had not followed it closely.
“She is a woman, but she is very strong,” she said.
