Imane Khelif of Algeria, the boxer at the center of a controversy involving eligibility and fairness that has made the women’s boxing tournament at the Paris Olympics a cultural flashpoint, advanced to the semifinals in her weight class Saturday.
The result guaranteed that Khelif, 25, will leave the Games with her first Olympic medal. But it also ensured that the furor over her participation will continue.
Khelif and another fighter, Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan, have come under intense scrutiny in recent days because they were barred from last year’s world championships, organized by the Russian-led International Boxing Association, after a ruling that questioned their eligibility to compete in a women’s event.