Imane Khelif blocks out the noise to win Olympic gold

By Paul Martin in Paris

The most talked about athlete at Paris 2024 is leaving with a gold medal around her neck.

Boxer Imane Khelif has had more column inches written dedicated to her over the last fortnight than punches thrown in her direction in a six-year career in the ring.

But the 25-year-old let her fists do the talking at a raucous Roland Garros late last night as she defeated Yang Liu by unanimous points decision to land women’s welterweight gold.

Again roared on by a sizable Algerian diaspora who have created a carnival atmosphere at the home of French tennis in the medal bouts, Khelif blocked out the noise and the jabs to ascend to the top of the podium.

Khelif, who has failed IBA gender eligibility tests, for her reaction and the IOC have stuck to their guns, with president Thomas Bach stating in a press conference yesterday: “It is not as easy (as those) in this cultural war may want to portray.

“Women must be allowed to take part in women’s competitions. And the two are women.”

The second fighter at the heart of the controversy, Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu Ting, goes for her own gold against Poland’s Julia Szeremeta tonight (8.30pm).

Friday night’s other golds were won by Uzbekistani pair Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev and Lazizbeck Mullojonov, and China’s Wu Yu.

Elsewhere on day 14, Japan’s B-girl Ami became the first-ever Olympic breaking champion after beating Lithuania’s B-girl Nicka in the final.

The competition also saw Afghanistan’s Manizha Talash, who is representing the Refugee Olympic Team after fleeing the Taliban, reveal a blue cape adorning the words ‘Free Afghan Women’.

Spain’s footballers added Olympic gold to their more senior compatriots’ European Championship success with a 5-3 win over hosts France in a thrilling final at Parc des Princes.

Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta buried a last-minute penalty to send a chaotic contest to extra time at 3-3 but Sergio Camello’s extra-time double dashed the dreams of Thierry Henry’s side.

In the women’s hockey, the Netherlands survived an almighty scare against China to win their fourth gold in the last five Games.

Chen Yi gave China an early lead and they were nine minutes away from one of the biggest shocks of this Olympics, only for Yibbi Jansen to equalise. The Dutch then prevailed 3-1 in a penalty shootout.

At Le Golf National, New Zealand’s Lydia Ko shares the overnight lead with Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux on nine-under-par.

The Kiwi, 27, is being spurred on by a mid-Olympics viewing of Simone Biles’ documentary Rising as she bids to follow in the American's footsteps and leave with gold.

“For her to have been so vulnerable, it inspires a lot of people,” she said. “And it inspired me. I loved a few of the quotes that she had said, so I wrote them on my yardage book.

"One of the things she said was, 'I get to write my own ending'. If Saturday all goes the way I would dream of it to be, that would be the perfect quote.”

British duo Georgia Hall and Charley Hull are three-over and five-over respectively.

Reigning men's modern pentathlon champion Joe Choong scraped into the final as the eighth best qualifier, while Ireland’s aquatic hero Daniel Wiffen claimed the marathon swim, in which he finished 18th, would be his ‘first and last’.

The 23-year-old, who won two medals in the pool including 800m freestyle gold, said: “It was probably one of the worst things I’ve done, but also one of the best.”

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