Gender Row Boxer Wins Olympic Gold As US Fly And Flop In Sprint Relays

Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Aug, 2024) Algerian boxer Imane Khelif defied a major gender controversy to win gold at the Paris Olympics on Friday as the United States' star sprinters flew and then flopped on the track.

Khelif, 25, claimed a unanimous points decision win over China's Yang Liu in the women's 66kg final for her first Olympic medal.

"I'm very happy. For eight years this has been my dream and I'm now the Olympic champion and gold medallist," said Khelif.

"I've worked for eight years, no sleep, eight years tired. Now I'm Olympic champion."

Khelif, along with Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, who fights for gold on Saturday, was disqualified from last year's world championships after failing gender eligibility testing.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), which runs the sport in Paris, however, insist the two fighters were born and raised as women, and have passports saying that.

"I want to thank all the people who have come to support me," said Khelif, after the final at Roland Garros, the home of French tennis.

"All the people from Algeria and all the people at my base. I want to thank all the team, my coach. Thank you so much."

On the track at the Stade de France, US sprint superstar Sha'Carri Richardson made up for her silver in the individual 100m with a gold-winning anchor run in the 4x100m relay.

Richardson turned on the afterburners to overhaul Britain, Germany and France in the home straight as the US quartet took gold in a season's best time of 41.78sec.

"The moment that I will describe is realizing that when we won, the USA ladies, it was a phenomenal feeling for all of us," said Richardson.

But the US men again failed in their bid to win their first 4x100m gold since Sydney in 2000 with a disastrous baton fumble.

Already missing 100m individual champion Noah Lyles through Covid, a botched baton change completely slowed the US momentum, allowing Canada to snatch gold ahead of South Africa and Britain.

"You can never count us out, we feel great," said Canadian runner Aaron Brown.