Happy ending for Imane Khelif who wins gold for Algeria

THE most talked about story of the Olympic Games had a happy ending for Imane Khelif who won gold for Algeria in the 66kg final at Roland Garros.

Greeted by a cacophony of noise Khelif was clearly the home favourite which was a stark contrast for her Chinese opponent Liu Yang who was welcomed to a chorus of boos.

Yang started strong in the opening round forcing Khelif back with straight shots but the biggest punch of the session was landed by the Algerian when a right hand powered through and forcing Yang back to the ropes.

With the first round in the bag on the judges cards Khelif found a more reserved Yang early in the second. The round was cagier with the Chinese fighter not looking to throw caution to the wind. Khelif landed an eye-catching body shot during the three minutes and once again the five judges were in agreement the Algerian won the round.

The final round was the quietest of the fight and ended with a rapturous reception for Khalef with the crowd knowing she had won gold and earned a shut-out over Yang. The 25-year-old becomes the first female Algerian boxer to win a medal for the country.

Khelif’s participation in the competition has been questioned after failing an IBA gender eligibility test – due to the presence of chromosomes –  at the 2023 World Championships. However, the Independent Olympic Committee recognise the female born Khelif as a female athlete allowing her to compete.

Lazizbek Mullojonov made it a hat-rick of golds for Uzbekistan winning the 92kg heavyweight competition.

The 25-year-old beat Cuban-born Azerbaijani Loren Berto Alfonso Dominguez comprehensively over the three-round distance. Mullojonov joins 71kg winner Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev and 51kg winner Hasanboy Dusmatov.

Having beat four seeds between them on their way to the final this was expected to be well-contested affair. The truth was Mullojonov faced little threat or danger to his chances of winning the gold medal.

The Uzbeki looked the more powerful and landed the more telling shots against his opponent who faded in the final session.

Women’s 50kg number one seed Wu Yu proved too strong and too busy for her Turkish opponent and third seed Buse Naz Cakiroglu to win gold for China in the second final of the evening at Roland Garros.

The result left the Turkish corner incensed and with Cakiroglu trying to calm her trainer down despite having just fought in a gold medal match.

Wu was the more accurate with her raids and flurries and wasn’t afraid to use some of the rough stuff. And the top seed was deducted a point by referee Manuel Vilarino for a punch to the back of the head in the final round but it was an accumulation of fouls which led to the penalisation.

Gold medallist Yu, silver medallists Cakiroglu and bronze medallists Nazym Kyzaibay (KAZ) and Aira Villegas (PHI) were on the podium before the final two bouts of the night.

Turkey have now won three medals in the women’s boxing competition thanks to Cakiroglu’s silver, Esra Yildiz Kahraman receiving a bronze at 57kg and Hatice Akbas winning silver at 54kg. China have already won gold at 54kg thanks to Chang Yuan and silver at 60kg courtesy of Yang Wenlu.

Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev won the first gold medal bout of the night beating number two seed Marco Alonso Verde Alvarez in the 71kg welterweight final outdoors at Roland Garros in Paris.

After Hasanboy Dusmatov’s win in last night’s 51kg final Muydinkhujaev earned another gold medal for Uzbekistan with a clever display of movement, balance and a left hand which his Mexican opponent couldn’t keep up with in the first two rounds.

Verde came on strong in the third but it was too little too late as the 23-year-old Muydinkhujaev won every round on every card in the first two sessions.

The gold and silver medallists along with bronze winners Omari Jones (USA) and Lewis Richardson (GBR) received their prizes before the third and fourth contests on Friday night.