Imane Kherif’s journey to the 2024 Olympics ended with a gold medal, after numerous victories and gender controversies that overshadowed those victories.
The 25-year-old Algerian fighter, Kherif, secured top spot in the boxing division on Friday after defeating China’s Yang Liu by unanimous decision.
She won the first two rounds, which set the stage for the celebrations after the third round.
But her time in Paris was riddled with remnants of controversy that began last year when she was disqualified from the world championships along with Lin Yuting for failing a gender test administered by the International Boxing Association.
Yuting, who will compete for gold in her division on Saturday, slammed the tests as “false” and said the testing process did not follow proper standards.
According to the Associated Press, Khelif said earlier this week that he was “not concerned” about the controversy that has dogged his landslide victory.
“I want to entertain you all so I want to prepare well, show a good standard and showcase my talent,” Khelif told reporters, according to the Associated Press.
And at the end of the Olympics, I won a gold medal.
