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PARIS — With an Olympic boxing gold medal around her neck, Algeria’s Imane Khelif addressed directly the controversy over her gender that engulfed her during the Paris Games, turned her into a culture war topic around the world and exposed her to vicious hatred on the Internet.

Khelif won here on Thursday by unanimous decision in the 66 kg class against China’s Liu Yang, a tournament in which some had questioned her eligibility to participate. The 25-year-old was disqualified from the 2023 World Championship because a test had shown that she had XY chromosomes, according to the International Boxing Federation.

Khelif rejected any accusation that she was anything but a woman, noting that she had met all IOC standards to compete in her second Olympic Games, finishing fifth in Tokyo in 2021.

“Regardless of whether I am qualified or not and whether I am a woman or not, I am fully qualified to participate in this competition,” Khelif said.

“I am a woman like any other woman,” she continued. “I was born a woman. I have lived as a woman. I have competed as a woman. There is no doubt about that.”

She also rejected her critics.

“They are enemies of my success,” she said. “That’s what I call them. That also gives my success a special touch through these attacks.”

A firestorm erupted after Khelif’s opponent gave up the fight 46 seconds into the first round, declaring the Algerian was too strong.

The IBA, which was stripped of its oversight of boxing competitions in Beijing by the IOC, said it had received tests that raised doubts about the chromosome composition of Khelif and Lin Yu-ting of Chinese Taipei, who will fight for gold in the 57 kg class on Saturday.

Politicians and opportunists quickly began claiming that Khelif was a transgender athlete and that it was like a man beating up a woman. The IOC disagreed but has not yet recovered from the claim that made the rounds around the world.

“This is not a transgender case,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams repeatedly stated. “There has been some confusion that this is a man fighting a woman. That is simply not the case. There is consensus on that. Scientifically speaking, this is not a man fighting a woman.”

“We have two boxers who were born as women, who grew up as women, who have a female passport and who competed as women for many years,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.

It is possible for a person to be born with female genitalia and still have XY chromosomes. Whether that is fair for the competition is for the organising bodies to determine, but it is a far cry from saying that Algeria, a country that is 99 per cent Muslim, is suddenly sending formerly male athletes to compete for medals in women’s events.

Khelif grew up as a girl in Biban Mesbah, a small, poor village about 280 kilometers southwest of Algiers. She credits her hard work and the support of her family for making her an Olympic champion.

While some in the Western world question her credentials, she is a hero in her own country. The crowd here at Roland-Garros, the famous tennis facility where the boxing medal rounds are held, was electric, packed with Algerian fans who chanted her name, waved flags and roared with joy as she won.

Before the awards ceremony, where an Algerian would stand at the top of the podium, the Algerian flag would be raised as the highest symbol and the Algerian national anthem would ring out into the Paris night, fans crowded into the front rows, climbing over seats and pushing past security guards just to be close to the moment.

Khelif subsequently received a call from the President of Alergia and was celebrated as a role model for women in the country and throughout the Arab world.

“Algerian women are known for their strong will and bravery,” said Khelif.

It was just one of the contrasts of the evening – for some a groundbreaking symbol of women’s equality, for others a sign of injustice.

It’s clear that much of the boxing world respects and supports her. For her part, Liu repeatedly tapped Khelif with her gloves on Friday and hugged her after the fight. Liu’s corner also congratulated her.

As for the IBA, Khelif said she had been fighting under their umbrella since 2018 and could not understand why they decided to disqualify her in 2023, let alone spread the news about the reported test during those Games.

Due to repeated allegations of corruption and referee scandals, the IOC withdrew the IBA’s supervision of Olympic boxing. The IBA is under strong influence from Russia, which the IOC also excluded from the Olympic Games.

While this does not mean that the IBA’s tests are wrong, it is not far-fetched to assume that it has an interest in creating confusion about the events in Paris.

As with everything in this story, the central question is what is real and what is not.

“Now (the IBA) is no longer recognized and they hate me,” said Khelif. “And I don’t know why. I really don’t know why. With this gold medal I sent them a single message: I say that my dignity, my honor, is above all else.”

Khelif said she ignored the vitriol on social media and focused on her competition, but hopes she can be an example of why it must stop.

“You should avoid bullying,” said Khelif. “I would like people to stop bullying.”

It won’t be that simple, but in this case it was nothing. The issues surrounding chromosomes, testing, competitive balance and politics were all-encompassing.

“We are trying to continue to provide safe, fair and inclusive sport,” said the IOC’s Adams. “Balancing all three of those things can be difficult at times.”

In the end, Khelif emerged victorious, becoming a gold medalist and a beloved champion in her country, and now she counters every question about whether she deserves the title.