Imane Khelif became the first Algerian, Arab, and African woman to win an Olympic gold in boxing when she overcame China’s Yang Liu in the 66kg weight category at the Rolland-Garros Stadium in Paris on Friday night.

The 25-year-old smiled, danced, and roared with delight after dominating the three-round welterweight fight and being declared champion by unanimous decision.

IMANE KHELIF GOLD MEDAL !

Algerian women continue to make us proud #Olympics #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/xYe4eMGHWI

— Algeria FC (@Algeria_FC) August 9, 2024

The Algerian, who had been at the centre of a gender dispute in one of the major talking points of the Paris Olympics, never looked troubled as she enjoyed the backing of a rapturous Algerian crowd in the stands at Court Philippe-Chatrier.

She was caught up in the gender debate after a 2023 decision by the now-banned International Boxing Association (IBA) resurfaced, which disqualified her for failing a gender eligibility test.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has rejected the results of the IBA-ordered tests as arbitrary and illegitimate, saying there was no reason to conduct them.

Khelif’s supporters came prepared with the Algerian flag and let out a loud roar as Khelif walked into the arena ahead of the fight. They cheered her on all the way from the first round up until the medal ceremony as Khelif stood proudly in the centre of the podium with a gold medal on her chest.

“It was my dream. I’m very happy today that I’m an Olympic gold medallist. Eight years of hard work, eight years of [being] too tired, eight years of no sleep – [this is] fantastic,” Khelif told the BBC after winning the fight.

#Gold medal for Algeria!

Congratulations to Imane Khelif, clinching first place in boxing women's 66kg. #Boxing | #Paris2024 | #Samsung | #TogetherforTomorrow pic.twitter.com/KRx4BnmFDN

— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) August 9, 2024

Yang began the first round strongly and tried to push Khelif back, but the fighter from northwestern Algeria could not be cowered. Instead, she fought back with a strong blow towards the end of the first round to win it with ease.

There was no let-up from the Algerian in the second round, and while Yang tried to fight back, she could not do enough to emerge victorious.

By the third round, Yang seemed to have lost the power to be the aggressor, and while Khelif waited for her to attack, the Chinese fighter missed several shots and seemed to have accepted defeat.

Wearing red and a victor’s smile, Khelif walked up to the centre of the ring for the referee to raise her left hand as the winner. She then saluted the crowd before breaking into her trademark dance around the ring.

It was in stark contrast to the scene at the end of her quarterfinal fight, where she wept as she embraced her team.

As soon as Khelif climbed down the ring, her team members held her aloft on their shoulders and walked her around the arena as the gold medallist soaked in the applause while raising the Algerian flag.

The tall fighter thanked the droves of Algerian supporters both in the arena and around the world.

“I want to thank all the Algerian people here in Paris, around the world, and in Algeria. All the people from Algeria and all the people at my base. I want to thank all the team, my coach. Thank you so much. Algeria is very happy today,” she said after the fight.

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