Imane Khelif, amid a gender controversy, secured a unanimous decision victory over Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng in the welterweight semi-finals at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, moving on to the women’s final at Roland Garros.
Khelif, a 2022 World Championship silver medalist, and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting have garnered significant attention, becoming key subjects in both media coverage and social media discussions throughout the Olympics.
“I prefer not to discuss the controversy,” Khelif remarked after her victory. Khelif and Lin were barred by the International Boxing Association from participating in the 2023 World Championships in New Delhi. The association announced in a chaotic press conference on Monday that a sex chromosome test had deemed both athletes’ ineligible. At those World Championships, Khelif had defeated Suwannapheng by unanimous decision in the semi-finals but was disqualified afterward. Suwannapheng went on to compete in the final and earned a silver medal.
Khelif and Lin are competing in the Olympics after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) removed the International Boxing Association (IBA) as the sport’s governing body in 2023 and took over the organization of boxing events in Paris. The IOC has criticized the IBA’s test results as arbitrary and unnecessary, asserting there was no justification for conducting them. For these Games, the IOC is implementing the boxing eligibility rules from the 2016 and 2021 Olympics, which do not include gender testing.

Support from fans
Algerian supporters filled the repurposed Court Philippe Chatrier, which no longer featured its signature red clay, to cheer for Khelif, chanting “Imane, Imane, Imane” and booing Suwannapheng upon her arrival. In the first round, both boxers were cautious, maintaining distance and engaging minimally, but Khelif’s jab proved more effective compared to her Thai opponent.
In the second round, Suwannapheng landed a significant right hand, but Khelif’s skillful technique allowed her to consistently score points and secure a lead on the judges’ scorecards. In the final round, Khelif threw caution to the wind, aggressively targeting Suwannapheng with a series of powerful punches to win by unanimous decision.
After the match, both boxers exchanged a respectful touch of gloves, and the crowd erupted in cheers when Khelif was announced as the winner. Khelif remarked, “I delivered the performance I aimed for to make the fans happy.” She waited for her opponent to leave the ring before celebrating, jogging with a big smile and heading to the doctor’s station for a brief medical check. Suwannapheng noted, “I haven’t followed the controversy closely, but she is a strong fighter and a woman.”
Khelif will compete against Yang Liu of China in the final on Friday. Lin also made it to the semi-finals in the featherweight division, where she will face Turkey’s Esra Yildiz on Wednesday.
The controversy surrounding Khelif and Lin intensified when Khelif’s opponent, Angela Carini, withdrew from their round-of-16 match last week after just 46 seconds, citing severe pain and safety concerns following a series of punches. This led to a flurry of debate on social media, with prominent figures like J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk expressing their disapproval of Khelif and Lin’s participation. After the match, Carini apologized to Khelif, expressing no ill will toward her.