Algerian boxer in gender row goes for Olympic gold, Thierry Henry looks to lead France footballers to glory

PARIS: Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, at the center of an Olympic gender eligibility row, goes for gold in Paris on Friday as Thierry Henry bids to lead France’s footballers to glory.

With just three days of sport to go at the Games, there is a packed athletics program at the Stade de France.

The boxing competition has been overshadowed by a bitter row over whether Khelif and Taiwanese fighter Lin Yu-ting should be allowed to compete in the women’s category.

Khelif and Lin were disqualified from last year’s world championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) after failing unspecified gender eligibility tests but she and Lin were cleared to compete in Paris.

The International Olympic Committee is running the boxing in the French capital, which is being held at Roland Garros, the home of French tennis.

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

On Friday, Algeria’s Khelif takes on China’s Yang Liu in the 66kg final while Lin is in action on Saturday in a different weight category.

Cries of “Imane, Imane” rang out repeatedly before and during Khelif’s semifinal bout on Tuesday as the crowd voiced their support for the boxer.

“I am like all athletes, I am here to achieve my dream,” she said.

The penultimate evening of track and field action features the men’s and women’s 4x100m relays, the men’s 400m hurdles, the women’s 400m and the final event of the heptathlon, the 800m.

US sprint star Noah Lyles was tipped for a sprint treble in Paris after winning the 100m earlier this week but he could only collect bronze in his favored 200m on Thursday.

Minutes after the race, won by Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, Lyles revealed he had tested positive for Covid, saying the disease had “taken its toll.”

The American later posted on social media that his Games were likely over, but the US remain favorites to take gold in the sprint relay.

In Friday’s women’s 10,000m final, Dutch runner Sifan Hassan will attempt to defend her crown after coming up short in her bid for a historic long-distance treble.

Defending champion and world record-holder Karsten Warholm is favorite to defend his title in the men’s 400m hurdles.

Henry’s France take on Spain in the men’s football final at the Parc des Princes.

Henry, one of France’s all-time great players, has led his country to the brink of their second football gold, 40 years after they won the title in Los Angeles.

They have conceded just a single goal in five matches and Henry admits he does not want his Olympic dream to end.

“I think it’s going to be difficult waking up,” he said. “Every night I watch and get goosebumps when I see guys win.”

Spain came from behind to beat Morocco 2-1 in their semifinal in Marseille in front of a hostile crowd, which will give them confidence that they can handle the pressure in the French capital.

“It’s another atmosphere that I will like,” said Fermin Lopez, who has scored four goals at the Olympics after helping Spain win Euro 2024.

“In any situation we can overcome anything. Now we want to get the gold.”

In diving, China are targeting gold in the women’s 3m springboard as they close in on clean sweep in Paris, with victories in all six events so far.

Defending champions the Netherlands take on China in the women’s hockey final, chasing their fourth title in five Games after the Dutch men’s team won gold.

History will be made when the first Olympics medals are won in the breaking competition staged at La Concorde.