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2024

Boxer Imane Khelif fights to get closer to gold amid gender misconceptions

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Algerian boxer Imane Khelif will press her fight for an Olympic gold medal Tuesday night amid the intense scrutiny over misconceptions about her gender.

Khelif takes on Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand in boxing semifinals at the Paris Olympics at Roland Garros, Paris' famed tennis complex. The winner advances to the women's 66-kilogram finals on Friday night.

Khelif, a two-time Olympian, has already clinched her first Olympic medal, which is also Algeria's first medal in women's boxing. She needs two more victories to claim only Algeria's second boxing gold medal, following Hocine Soltani in 1996.

Khelif comfortably won her first two fights in Paris, but the ending of her first bout propelled her into a worldwide divide over gender identity and regulations in sports. Her first opponent, Angela Carini of Italy, tearfully quit after just 46 seconds, saying she was in too much pain from Khelif's punches.

Carini's abandonment of the fight led to comments from the likes of former U.S.