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Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, emerging as a champion from a tumultuous run at the Games where she endured intense scrutiny in the ring and online abuse from around the world over misconceptions about her gender.
Khelif beat Yang Liu of China 5:0 in the final of the women's welterweight division, wrapping up the best series of fights of her boxing career with a victory at Roland Garros, where crowds chanted her name, waved Algerian flags and roared every time she landed a punch.
After her unanimous win, Khelif jumped into her coach's arms, one of them putting her on his shoulders and carrying her around the arena in a victory lap as she pumped her fists and grabbed an Algerian flag from someone in the crowd.
Those cheering fans have embraced Khelif throughout her run in Paris even as she faced an extraordinary amount of scrutiny from world leaders, major celebrities and others who have questioned her eligibility or falsely claimed she was a man.
Khelif told SNTV, a sports video partner of The Associated Press, last weekend that the wave of hateful scrutiny she has received "harms human dignity," and she called for an end to bullying athletes. She also said a gold medal would be "the best response" to the backlash against her.
Khelif's gold medal is Algeria's first in women's boxing. She is only the nation's second boxing gold medallist, joining Hocine Soltani (1996).
Hundreds of flag-clad, noise-making supporters of Khelif crowded the paths through the famed Roland Garros tennis complex in Paris and packed the stands, chanting, cheering and waving Algerian flags. Khelif also has become a hero across her North African country where many fans have seen the world's dissection of Khelif as criticism of their nation.
Khelif's fight was dubbed "The Night of Destiny" in local newspapers. Projection screens to watch the bout were set up in public squares throughout Algiers and other cities. In the city of Tiaret in the region where Khelif is from, workers braved scorching summer heat to paint a mural of Khelif on the gym where she learned to box.
"Imane has managed to turn the criticism and attacks on her femininity into fuel," said Mustapha Bensaou of the Tiaret gym.
"The slander has given her a boost. It's a bit of a blessing in disguise."
Khelif has never done as well in another international tournament as she did in these Olympics. When she was cast as some sort of unstoppable punching machine last week by pundits and provocateurs who had never seen her fight before, opponents and teammates who know her were shocked by the characterisation.
Then she lived up to the notion of being one of the best Olympic boxers in the world.
AP
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