Imane Khelif capped off one of the most emotional, controversial Olympic boxing journeys in recent memory by capturing the gold medal at welterweight on Friday. Algeria’s Khelif defeated China’s Liu Yang in the finals by unanimous decision.
Yang was a tall, rangy opponent for Kehlif, who usually enjoys a height advantage in her fights. It took Khelif much of the first round to adjust to Yang’s ranginess but once she made the adjustment, Khelif took over the fight using pressure and sharp counters.
After the conclusion of three rounds, Khelif won on all five official scorecards to lock up the biggest accomplishment of her boxing career. She also ended a red-hot streak for the Chinese women’s boxers in the Paris games, with the team having already picked up two medals in part because of fantastic strategy and preparation.
Khelif became one of the most talked about athletes at the Olympics when she defeated Italy’s Angela Carini in just 46 seconds after Carini quit the fight. Social media was soon overwhelmed by a debate over whether…
