Algerian Imane Khelif will fight for a gold medal after defeating Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng in a unanimous decision Tuesday.
Khelif dominated Suwannapheng throughout the match, winning the first three rounds on points. In the final round, Khelif nailed Suwannapheng in the face, and the referee backed the Algerian to the corner and counted to eight.
Now, the fighter will get to contend for a gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
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Algeria’s Imane Khelif (left) in action Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, against Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng during the women’s 66-kilogram semifinal at Roland Garros Stadium on the 11th day of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in France. (Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)
The crowd at Arena Paris Nord cheered Khelif throughout the fight. Khelif and Suwannapheng embraced in the middle of the ring after the third round.
The referee raised Khelif’s arm as the winner.
Khelif breezed through the first two fights of the Olympics, defeating Hungarian Luca Anna Hamori via unanimous decision and picking up a victory over Italian Angela Carini.
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Fans of Algeria’s Imane Khelif cheer her on during the women’s 66-kilogram semifinal boxing match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris Aug. 6, 2024. (Mohd Rasfan/AFP via Getty Images)
The boxer had been under the microscope over a gender eligibility controversy that started with a disqualification at the 2023 International Boxing Association World Championships.
Khelif and the International Olympic Committee have maintained that the Algerian Olympian is eligible to compete. Khelif declared after the win over Hamori, “I am a woman.”
Suwannapheng will receive a bronze medal with the loss. It’s the first Olympic medal of her career.
There is no fight for the third-place spot.
Imane Khelif of Algeria punches Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand during the women’s 66-kilogam semifinal round match on day 11 of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Roland Garros Aug. 6, 2024, in Paris. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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The 66-kilogram final is scheduled for Friday.
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