Imane Khelif - Yang Liu: Women’s boxing gold medal fight | Paris 2024 Olympics (LIVE)
Imane Khelif is a worthy Olympic champion
With all that was said leading up to this fight, one could argue that it was actually somewhat subdued in nature. Nowhere to be seen was the vicious attack that many critics of the Algerian fighter expected to see, citing the idea that she is a transgender athlete and should not be competing against other women.
Instead what we saw was an example of calculated footwork, defense, and spacial awareness from two fighters who clearly respect each other. Indeed, one could say that Wang Liu gave as good as she got, even if she lacked accuracy.
Indeed, it's like that last observation that was ultimately the difference when it came down to the awarding of points from the judges. Though it should be said that Khelif never looked unsettled, such that anything less than a win would have been surprising.
Undoubtedly, there will be a fair share of debate following this one, with many have posted all manner of vitriol on social media. On the other hand, we imagine the Khelif will deal with it as she has up to this point i.e., with grace, dignity, and professionalism.
Congratulations are in order
The Algerian is now an Olympic champion and quite frankly, she deserves it. Something tells us this won't be the last we hear or see of Imane Khelif.
Imane Khelif wins it on points by unanimous decision!
It's IMANE KHELIF by unanimous decision! With that, Algeria has gold medalist in women's boxing. An amazing journey for the 25-year-old, one that has been fraught with controversy surrounding her eligibility. Yet, now is not the time to speak of such things but rather to pay tribute to an Olympic champion!
It's all over but who is the winner?
They've made their way to the center of the ring where we now await the decision of the judges. Something tells us this one is going to be tight.
There's an affectionate hug between the pair as the fight comes to an end. Khelif for her part is all smiles, while Wang appears to be much more serious. How's this one going to shake out?
Final seconds now which means we're looking at a decision ladies and gentlemen.
This is the final stretch now and they hug once more. You can see their tired but neither intends to give an inch.
If there's one word to describe what we're seeing, it's respectful. I for one expected a little more violence in this one but both fighters appear to be more conscious of making a mistake than attacking their opponent.
A nice jab from Khelif there as she tries to find her feet in the middle of the ring. Wang on the other hand is again attempting to dominate the middle. They've got to go for it now.
We're in the 3rd round now and it starts with what would have been a vicious hook from Wang but Khelif is just able to avoid taking the brunt of it with a last second duck.
The second round comes to an end and once again it should be said, there's been no serious hurt bestowed by either fighter. What appears to be the greater challenge for each is endurance. You can see that the effort is beginning to take a toll.
Wang is trying to finish the round strongly but it's now Khelif who is evading. There's definitely respect in both directions.
Again they hug after a nice straight from Khelif. The Algerian's strategy seems to revolve around heavy straights but her accuracy has been wanting so far, something that's allowed Wang to land a few light blows everytime she tries.
A solid right from Wang and Khelif opts to hug her opponent.
Wang pushes back there with a decent combination which forces Khelif to retreat. They're getting a little more serious now as Wang appears to have woken up.
Off we go again and it's clear that Khelif has changed her game plan to one that is more aggressive. She've tracking down Wang at this point, but the Chinese fighter is evading well so far.
And that's a wrap for the first round. Again, we've seen no real damage done, but there's much more left to go.
We're coming to the end of the round and to be honest, we've not seen any real action yet with both fighters seemingly trying to get a rhythm while leaving no openings.
Ooooooo...Khleif lands a decent right straight there and it's the first real blow of the fight, You get the feeling Wang didn't like that.
There was a flurry of punches from Wang there but Khelif skillfully evaded. Her Chinese opponent appears to be dominating the middle of the ring thus far.
There've been no clear blows landed thus far but it's clear that Wang is prepared to keep her distance, using the right jab to good effect so far.
And away we go. Both fighters are feeling each other out as they keep their distance but it appears that it's Khelif who is prepared to go on the offensive from early
It's time!
The fighters are making their way into the ring and that's means we're about to witness the moment we've been waiting for. The final words from the coaches are being given and we're about to hear the bell!.
We've got a men's heavyweight champion!
In the penultimate fight of the night, it was Uzbekistan's man in the middle who took down his counterpart from Azerbaijan. With that, it's time for the biggest bout of the night: Imane Khelif vs Yang Liu. Let's go!
From one star to another
Arguably one of the greatest UFC fighters of the modern era, the so-called 'Style Bender' recently did the right thing by recognizing his mistake. Perhaps he can inspire others to do the same.
Something to consider...
Here we have a rather interesting exchange involving the 2022 IBA World Light-welterweight champion, and gold medal winner in the lightweight division at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Irish boxer, Amy Broadhurst.
It's almost time for a fight!
In just under half hour we will be bringing you the action live from Stade Roland-Garros. It's Imane Khelif against Yang Liu in what promises to be an epic battle in the welterweight division of women's Olympic boxing. Stay with us!
In case you didn't know...
This is the complete context of what we're looking at in the women's boxing gold medal bout between Imane Khelif of Algeria and Yang Liu of China.
A Positive Take
With all that's been said about the Algerian fighter's eligibility, it's great to see some taking a less rigid approach to the coming bout.
Not long now...
We're less than an hour away from the bell and it would be fair to say, we're excited for this one. Given all of the controversy surrounding the Algerian and the solid performances that we've seen from her opponent, it's hard not to imagine this should be an epic bout. Be sure to stay with us as we take you through the fight blow by blow!
Introducing China's gold medal hope in boxing
It took a while to find a post about Yang Liu without some rather nasty references to her opponent. Indeed, this was the best we could find and so, let's give it up for China's hope for yet another gold medal.
Trigger warning...
It goes without saying that the topic of transgender athletes in sports today is one that is extremely divisive. So, with that in mind, rather than get into the back and forth that currently exists, we'd prefer to focus instead on the reality of the tonight's fight:
Imane Khelif is a woman and not because of any medical procedure but because she was born that way.
While she may indeed have a hormonal condition that some claim is an advantage, one has to ask whether the situation is any different to the larger lung capacity that Kenyan runners enjoy due to living at higher elevation.
In that sense, it may just be time for everyone to focus on the question that really matters i.e., can the Algerian overcome a fighter who appears to be as dangerous as she is versatile because that's exactly what China's Yang Liu is.
But this...this is inspiring
Though opinion continues to be divided on the Algerian fighter's eligibility, what remains clear is that she has maintained professionalism at all times when many others would have given way to emotion or retaliation. A nod to Imane Khelif.
That's just sad...
While it's common place for people in the public's eye to receive criticism, there are some lines that shouldn't be crossed and sadly, many have consistently done so since the Algerian's condition has come to light.
Welcome Welcome Welcome
We've got a big one tonight in the Olympic Games in Paris as Imane Khelif, the female boxer at the center of controversy over gender eligibility at the 2024 Summer Olympics, will fight for gold in the women’s 66kg event when she faces China’s Yang Liu in the final at Stade Roland Garros.
Khelif, 25, reached the gold-medal bout with a unanimous-decision victory over Janjaem Suwannapheng in the semi-finals on Tuesday, while Yang overcame Chinese Taipei’s Chen Nien Chin with a 4-1 split-decision win.
Both women have shown an impressive array of skills and tools such that there is no question about whether they deserve to be in the finals. On the other hand, there is no way to avoid the chatter surrounding the Algerian fighter who many believe shouldn't be allowed to compete.
Indeed, Khelif has been at the center of a media storm that has at times gone way past the level of respectful in terms of the intimate details of her life and gender. That of course came to a head when Italian boxer, Angela Carini, withdrew from her round-of-16 bout with Khelif after just 46 seconds, complaining that the Algerian’s punches were too painful. “My face and nose were hurting […],” Carini told media. “I’ve never been hit with such a powerful punch.”
Ultimately, it will now fall on China's Yang to prove that the rhetoric surrounding Khelif is nothing more than just that. So, be sure to stay with us as we'll be taking you through the action blow by blow in what we are certain is going to be an intriguing bout.