Imane Khelif books spot in gold medal contest at Olympics after winning semi-final bout
Imane Khelif has advanced to the gold medal contest at the 2024 Olympics following her victory over Janjaem Suwannapheng.
Khelif's boxing campaign has been scrutinised amid a gender row following her disqualification from last year's World Championships for failing gender eligibility tests.
Her involvement at the Olympics has sparked huge debate over whether she should be able to compete at the Paris Games.
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The Algerian's contest against Angela Carini was marred by controversy after the Italian pulled out of their match just 46 seconds into the clash.
She then beat Hungary's Anna Luca Hamori to guarantee herself a medal.
And, on Tuesday, the 25-year-old beat Thailand's Suwannapheng by unanimous decision to set up a gold medal showdown against the winner of Chen Nien-chin vs. Yang Liu.
The opening round was a cagey affair as Khelif landed the more significant strikes, including a stinging combo in the closing stages.
In the second round, Khelif got the better of the exchanges as she showcased her power.
In the third and final round, Khelif continued her dominance as she picked off Suwannapheng, who was given a standing count by the referee.
The women's welterweight (66kg) gold medal bout is scheduled to take place on Friday.
Khelif will be aiming to claim her first Olympic gold medal of her career, having won gold in the African Championships, the Mediterranean Games and the Arab Games.
Topics: Olympics
Nasir Jabbar