Atop her coach’s shoulders, arms in the air, a full house at the main stadium of Roland Garros cheering her on, Imane Khelif celebrated the perfect way to end a trying week.
The Algerian boxer on Friday won the Olympic gold medal in the women’s boxing 66-kilogram (145-pound) division, beating China’s Yang Liu and ending a difficult nine-day stretch that saw her become one of the stories of the Olympics due to accusations over her gender that she described as “bullying.”
For Friday’s final, Khelif came out to a massive roar on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Her fight with Yang was the final event of the night, and for the first time in these Olympics, both were facing more equal talents after breezing through their early rounds – but it didn’t faze Khelif, who controlled the fight from the opening bell.
The fight marked the end of a long, emotional Olympic saga for Khelif that started August 1, when she beat her first opponent of these Games, Italy’s Angela Carini, in just 46 seconds after Carini withdrew from the bout citing hard punches.
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GO FURTHER
Imane Khelif wins Olympic boxing gold medal, ending trying Games with triumph
