Algeria's Imane Khelif to fight for Paris Olympics gold medal as gender row rumbles on

Unanimous points decision over Janjaem Suwannapheng sets up 66kg gold-medal bout with China's Yang Liu

Algeria's Imane Khelif after beating Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng in the women's 66kg semi-final. AFP

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Imane Khelif said she was ignoring the noise that has seen her dragged into a major gender controversy and concentrating on clinching Olympic gold in Paris.

The Algerian boxer won her semi-final on Tuesday to guarantee at least a silver medal in front of a raucous Roland Garros crowd that chanted her name throughout.

Khelif defeated Thailand's 2023 world silver medallist Janjaem Suwannapheng via unanimous points decision to march into Friday's final in the women's 66kg category.

Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, the other boxer in the eye of a storm over her eligibility, is herself sure to take home at least bronze at a different weight.

"I am focusing on the competition and other things are not important. The important thing is that I am in the final now," Khelif told BeIN Sports.

"I am very proud of this new achievement. I gave everything I had. We worked as a team for years and the dream has become a reality. I hope to focus and be up to the responsibility in the dream final."

In the build-up to Tuesday's semi-final, Khelif said the scrutiny and vitriol she has faced over misconceptions over her gender "harms human dignity" and called for an end to "bullying" athletes.

Khelif, 25 and Lin both fought at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago but there was no controversy at the time and neither won a medal.

Both were disqualified from last year's world championships, organised by the International Boxing Association, after failing gender eligibility tests, but were cleared to compete in Paris by the International Olympic Committee.

As has been the case at all her fights in Paris, Khelif was given the biggest roar of the night as she entered the arena at Roland Garros, usually home to Grand Slam tennis but hosting Olympic boxing and a sizeable number of Algerian fans with flags.

Cries of "Imane, Imane" rang out repeatedly before and during the bout.

The Thai Janjaem, who had a clear height disadvantage, took a standing count in the third round after feeling the full power of the superior Algerian.

At the end of the fight at the 15,000-seated Court Philippe-Chatrier, which was close to capacity, the two fighters greeted each other warmly and shook hands.

Khelif did a dance in the middle of the ring, to more roars of approval. Khelif received her post-fight medical check and was headed out of the arena when she was mobbed by fans near the exit. They hugged Khelif, demanded selfies and waved Algerian flags while she made her way backstage.

She faces Yang Liu for gold after the Chinese boxer beat Taiwan's Chen Nien-chin in the other semi-final on points.

The gender controversy ignited when Khelif defeated Angela Carini in 46 seconds in her opening bout last week. The Italian reduced to tears and abandoning the fight after suffering a badly hurt nose.

The IBA is banned from organising boxing at the Olympics due to concerns over its governance. The Kremlin-linked president, Umar Kremlev, claimed at a chaotic press conference on Monday that both Khelif and Lin were expelled from last year's world championships after "genetic testing that shows that these are men".

The IOC has leapt to the defence of Khelif and Lin, with president Thomas Bach saying they were born and raised as women, and have passports saying that.

Algeria’s Olympic team has reacted forcefully to the criticism and negative attention around Khelif, and the fan turnout in Roland Garros reflected the seriousness with which the accusations have been received in her home country and in its French diaspora.

Lin, 28, fights in the semi-finals of the women's 57kg division on Wednesday.