Imane Khelif, the Algerian fighter who has failed two gender tests, is guaranteed a shot at an Olympic medal after beating Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori in their welterweight bout by unanimous decision, following a tumultuous couple of days after her victory by abandonment against Italy’s Angela Carini.
Carini took two blows to the face and withdrew from her fight, sparking an online frenzy over Khelif’s eligibility, but Hamori went the full three rounds, undeterred but unsuccessful as Khelif won on all five scorecards in all three rounds.
In the days since the Carini fight, Khelif has been subject to a torrent of criticism, some of it falsely assuming she is transgender. Her only words to the press after the victory on Saturday were: “I am a woman”.
