Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was moved to tears as she was treated to a hero's welcome before defeating Hungary's Anna Hamori.
ADVERTISEMENTAlgerian boxer Imane Khelif could have not wished for a better comeback after days of online abuse and misconceptions sparked by her victory against Italy's Angela Carini.
On Saturday, Khelif defeated Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary 5:0 in the quarterfinals of the women’s 66-kilogram division. Khelif will win at least a bronze medal whether she reaches third place or not due to Olympic boxing rules.
Khelif's second win in Paris appeared to be an emotional catharsis for the 25-year-old boxer from a village in northwest Algeria. After her hand was raised in victory, Khelif went to the centre of the ring, waved to her fans, knelt and then slammed her palm on the canvas, her smile turning to tears.
She left the ring to hug her coaches while her fans roared, weeping during their embrace and as she walked out. Khelif stopped briefly to speak to an Algerian television crew, then walked straight to the dressing room without stopping for dozens of waiting reporters.
She faced outcry fueled by claims from the International Boxing Association, which has been banned from the Olympics since 2019, that she failed an unspecified eligibility test to compete last year over elevated levels of testosterone.
But IOC President Thomas Bach defended Khelif and fellow boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan earlier Saturday. Khelif and Lin were disqualified in the middle of last year's world championships by the IBA, the former governing body of Olympic boxing, after what it claimed were failed eligibility tests.
“Let’s be very clear here: We are talking about women’s boxing,” Bach said on Saturday. “We have two boxers who are born as a woman, who have been raised a woman, who have a passport as a woman, and who have competed for many years as women. And this is the clear definition of a woman. There was never any doubt about them being a woman.”
First gold glory for Saint Lucia in women's 100-m victory
Saint Lucia celebrated their first-ever gold medal at the Olympics with a roaring victory by Julien Alfred in the women's 100-metre final. She crossed the line in 10.72 seconds.
Alfred said she studied Jamaican legend Usain Bolt to perfect her performances. She said she grew up in Saint Lucia too poor to buy shoes and had to run barefoot, in her school uniform, in poor facilities, hoping her gold would lead to a new stadium being built in Saint Lucia to grow track and field.
In other women's finals, more glory for China, who stay top of the medal table after Zheng Qinwen won the country's first Olympic tennis singles gold, against Croatia's Donna Vekic.
France follow China second on the table.
The country's judo icon Teddy Riner won his third individual Olympic gold in front of a passionate home crowd on Saturday, to bring the hosts' gold tally to 12.
Riner defeated South Korea's Kim Min-jong in the men's +100 kg final match at Champ-de-Mars Arena
In swimming, Team US Katie Ledecky made history by winning the 800-meter freestyle in her fourth consecutive Olympics, becoming only the second swimmer to do so.