Analysis

Khelif gets her fairytale ending. The controversy’s far from over

Controversial gold-winning Algerian welterweight Imane Khelif got her fairytale ending. But her victory won’t draw the curtain on this particular culture war.

Hans van LeeuwenJournalist

Updated Aug 11, 2024 – 11.20am, first published at 9.25am

Email LinkedIn Twitter Facebook

Subscribe to gift this article

Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.

Subscribe now

Already a subscriber?

Key Points

Read the latest Olympics coverage.
Keep up to date with the medal tally.
Explore the full events schedule.
Sign up for AFR Performance – our twice-weekly Olympics newsletter on LinkedIn.

Paris | For Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, winning a gold medal in front of a packed, cheering Olympic arena was a fairytale ending. But her victory is unlikely to bring down a curtain on this particular culture war.

“I’ve worked for eight years, no sleep, eight years tired. Now I’m Olympic champion,” she said after prevailing against China’s Yang Liu on Saturday morning (AEST). “I am very happy for my performance. I am a strong woman.”

Hans van Leeuwen is international economy editor for The Telegraph UK. He was previously The Australian Financial Review’s Europe correspondent.