Imane Khelif's Quest for Olympic Gold Amid Controversy

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif is set to compete in the Olympics amid intense scrutiny over gender misconceptions. Facing Janjaem Suwannapheng in the semifinals, she has already secured Algeria's first women's boxing medal, needing two more wins for gold. Khelif addresses the wrongful claims and defends her eligibility.

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

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

In an interview with SNTV, a sports video partner of The Associated Press, Khelif said the wave of hateful scrutiny she is facing “harms human dignity” and called for an end to bullying athletes.

The IOC and its president, Thomas Bach, have repeatedly defended the Olympic eligibility of Khelif and her fellow boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan. Lin also has clinched a medal and advanced to the Olympic semifinals.