By Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting have both guaranteed themselves Olympic medals by reaching the semi-finals in their respective boxing categories at the Paris Olympics. Khelif advanced in the women’s 66kg category after defeating Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori, while Lin moved forward in the 57kg category with a unanimous-decision win over Bulgaria’s Svetlana Kamenova Staneva.
Khelif’s victory ensures Algeria’s first boxing medal since 2000 and their first in women’s boxing. She will face Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng in the semi-finals. Lin will compete against Turkey’s Esra Yildiz in her semi-final bout.
Both athletes have been at the center of an eligibility controversy, having been disqualified from last year’s World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) due to unspecified eligibility tests. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has permitted them to compete in Paris, adopting different criteria from the IBA.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams has called for an end to the spread of misinformation and online abuse directed at the athletes, emphasizing that both women were born and raised as females and have competed as such for years. Adams criticized the IBA for its governance and financial issues, urging for a new international federation to support athletes fairly.
Khelif and Lin have received support from their respective Olympic committees, which condemned the online abuse and reaffirmed the athletes’ eligibility under IOC rules. Both athletes have expressed their determination to continue competing despite the controversy.
