Imane Khelif will fight for a Olympic The boxer, who is at the centre of controversy after testing positive in a gender test last year, won by unanimous decision against Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng.
Khelif dominated Suwannapheng and all five judges believed she had overcome the eighth seed. The 25-year-old performed a jig with glee and her victory and passage to the final was sealed with a wave of the umpire's arm.
Khelif will fight for gold on Friday night and will be supported by the Algerian fans. She received a huge amount of support from the spectators at Roland Garros, the tennis venue that has been converted into the stage for boxing medal matches at the Olympic Games. Khelif, dressed in blue, walked to the ring to huge applause.
The reaction outside the ring to Khelif's success has been far more mixed. The Algerian fighter reportedly possesses higher testosterone levels than the average woman. Her first-round opponent, Angela Carini, pulled out of the fight after just 46 seconds, claiming she had never been punched so hard in her career.
Khelif was disqualified from last year's world championships after failing a gender test imposed by the International Boxing Association. The International Olympic Committee disassociated itself from the IBA last year, but IBA president Umar Kremlev reportedly claimed that Khelif's test showed XY chromosomes, which are more often found in men.
But no proof has ever been produced. Khelif was born a woman in Algeria and his father submitted documents last week to prove it.
Khelif celebrated her second round victory over Luca Hamori by shouting: “I am a woman.”
She believes she has been the victim of bullying and said in an interview over the weekend: “I send a message to all people in the world to stand up for the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes, because this has effects, massive effects.
“It can destroy people, it can kill their thoughts, their spirit and their mind. It can divide people. And that is why I ask you to refrain from harassing them.”
Khelif, who has lost nine fights during his career, now has a chance to win Olympic gold in Paris.