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Topics: News, Olympics, Sport, World News, Imane Khelif
Rhianna Benson
Topics: News, Olympics, Sport, World News, Imane Khelif
Boxer Imane Khelif has taken a second Olympic victory after beating Hungary's Anna Luca Hamori.
Khelif took on Hamori today (3 August) after her fight against Italy's Angela Carini sparked a huge gender row.
Khelif is now through to the semi-final of the Women's 66kg division, which will take place next week.
The boxer will take on Janjaem Suwannapheng in the Olympic event.
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The news comes just days after 25-year-old Khelif's match with Carini ended after the Italian boxer called it quits on their fight just 46 seconds in.
Carini, 25, was seen bursting into tears, claiming she'd 'never been hit so hard' as she had by her competitor.
After being punched in the nose to such an extent during the first few seconds that spectators worried it may be broken, Carini returned to the fight.
Less than a minute later, however, following another punch to the face, the sportswoman claimed she simply could not carry on.
'It's not fair' Carini cried before being seen refusing to shake her Khelif's hand.
Carini later told the press: "I went into the ring to fight. I didn't give up, but a punch hurt too much and so I said enough.
"I'm leaving with my head held high."
Khelif was previously disqualified from the 2023 World Championships after failing gender eligibility tests.
At the time, International Boxing Association (IBA) president Umar Kremlev also claimed that the DNA test reportedly showed Khelif to have the XY chromosome.
Taiwanese boxer Lin Yi-tung was also disqualified in 2023 for failing a gender eligibility test.
Both Khelif and Lin were deemed eligible to compete in the Paris Games by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The Algerian Olympic Committee (AOC) and IOC both released statements defending Khelif and Lin Yi-tung's right to compete in the games.
AOC condemned the 'baseless' attacks against Khelif and claimed they had 'taken all necessary measures to protect our champion', while the IOC wrote that 'the gender and age of the athletes are based on their passport'.
They also described Khelif and Lin as 'victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA'.
After Carini subsequently apologised to Khelif, her most recent competitor Hamori - to whom she won during the quarter-final today - issued a brutal response to the gender speculation which has been rife ever since.