The City of Lights crowns Algerian Khelif, Olympic gold medalist in boxing

After days of controversy, after the meat grinder that involved him, the statements of athletes who also ended up being investigated by the IOC for the statements made against him, the day has arrived, or rather, the night of Algerian jubilation at Roland Garros. Imane Khelif won the gold medal in the 66 kg category at the Paris 2024 Olympic GamesIn the final – played in the ring set up in the centre of the Philippe-Chatrier field – the Algerian boxer, at the centre of accusations and controversy because she is hyperandrogynous, beat the Chinese woman on points. Liu Yang. Unanimous verdict from the five judges: a double victory for the new Olympic champion, who proved stronger in the ring.

A victory desired, desired by all the Algerian people, who are now waiting for the return of their favorite to give her the honors of heroine of her homeland. In the red clay temple of tennis, she has already been celebrated by thousands of compatriots, overjoyed by the record of gold medals won at the Olympics, two (there was already that of the gymnast Kaylia Nemour) as during the centennial games in Atlanta.
A few hours before the decisive match for the delivery of the two most important women's welterweight medals, many Khelif supporters were already present in the Roland Garros enclosure. Inside, thousands of white and green flags with the red half-moon and thousands of voices chanting the name of Imane, who, in truth, in the first moments of the match against the Chinese team showed signs of tension. But in a few seconds, pushed by deafening cheers, the Algerian took control of the match without Yang being able to worry her. It was only in the third and final round that the Chinese tried an attack to eliminate her (the only chance she had left to win the match), but in these Olympic Games, Imane was stronger than all the opponents she encountered on her way and all the controversies before and after the match against the Italian Angela Cariniwho gave up after 46 seconds because a punch “hurt him badly.”

A political controversy broke out with representatives of the Italian government who had stigmatized this episode, contrasting with the hyperandrogyny of the Algerian athlete. Even theInternational Boxing Association, ignored by the International Olympic Committee for several years, intervened by offering the Italian athlete the equivalent of what would have been paid to her if she had won the gold medal. A provocation, returned to the sender by the Italian athlete herself. And then the controversy of the Hungarian athlete who had to challenge Imane, who posted on social networks that she was going to have to meet a monster. In this case too, the IOC defended the Algerian athlete.

It seems a long time ago, but in reality only a few days have passed since these controversies: now all that is nothing more than a memory. Imane Khelif, wrapped in her country's flag, stands triumphantly on the shoulders of her coach. When he returns for the party in Algeria, he will have around his neck the gold medal of the Paris 2024 Olympics. And tonight the French capital looks a bit like Algeria for Imane Khelif's compatriots' party in the streets of the City of Light