THE most talked about story of the Olympic Games had a happy ending It's just Khelif who won gold for Algeria in the 66kg final at Roland Garros.
Greeted with great fanfare, Khelif was clearly the home favorite in stark contrast to his Chinese rival. Liu Yang who was welcomed to a chorus of boos.
Yang started strongly in the opening round forcing Khelif back with straight shots but the biggest blow of the session came from the Algerian when a right hand landed forcing Yang back to the ropes.
In the first round in the bag on the judges' cards Khelif found Yang who had been booked early in the second. The round was intense as the Chinese fighter did not want to throw caution to the wind. Khelif got a shot that caught the eye in three minutes and the five judges agreed that the Algerian team won this round.
The final session was the quietest battle of all and ended with Khalef being cheered by the crowd knowing he had won the gold which ultimately shut Yang out. This 25-year-old player becomes the first Algerian female boxer to win a medal in this North African country.
Khelif's participation in the tournament was called into question after he failed the IBA's gender eligibility test – due to the presence of chromosomes – at the 2023 World Championships. However, the Independent Olympic Committee recognizes the woman born Khelif as a female athlete allowing her to compete.
Mullojonov (right) won three gold medals for the Uzbek boxing team (Getty Images)
Lazizbek Mullojonov made a hat-rick of gold for Uzbekistan winning the 92kg heavyweight championship.
The 25-year-old beat the Cuban-born Azerbaijani Loren Berto Alfonso Dominguez completely in the distance of three rounds. Mullojonov joins 71kg winner Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev and 51kg winner Hasanboy Dusmatov.
Since they beat the four seeds between them on their way to the finals, it was expected to be a good rivalry. The reality was that Mullojonov faced little threat or danger to his chances of winning the gold medal.
The Uzbeki looked very strong and outshot his opponent who disappeared in the final set.
First seed Wu Yu was ahead of his Turkish opponent (Getty Images)
Women's first seed 50kg Wu Yu he proved too strong and too busy for his third-seeded Turkish rival Bus Naz Cakiroglu to win gold for China in the evening's second final at Roland Garros.
The result left the Turkish corner fuming and Cakiroglu trying to calm his coach despite having just fought in the gold medal match.
Wu was very accurate with his attacks and slashes and wasn't afraid to use some nasty stuff. And the seniors were stripped of a point by referee Manuel Vilarino for punching after the last round but it was the accumulation of mistakes that led to the penalty.
Gold medalist Yu, silver medalist Cakiroglu and bronze medalists Nazim Kyzaibay (KAZ) and Aira Villegas (PHI) were on stage before the final two matches of the night.
Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev won another gold in Uzbekistan. (Getty Images)
Turkey has now won three medals in the women's boxing competition thanks to Cakiroglu's silver, Esra Yildiz Kahraman's bronze at 57kg and Hatice Akbas' silver at 54kg. China already won gold at 54kg thanks to Chang Yuan and silver at 60kg by Yang Wenlu.
Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev won the first gold medal of the night defeating the no.2 Marco Alonso Verde Alvarez at 71kg welterweight outside of Roland Garros in Paris.
After Hasanboy Dusmatov's win in last night's 51kg final Muydinkhujaev secured another gold medal for Uzbekistan with a brilliant move, balance and left hand that his Mexican opponent couldn't match in the first two rounds.
Verde came on strong in the third but it was too late as 23-year-old Muydinkhujaev won every round of the card in the first two sessions.
Gold and silver medalists and bronze medalists Omari Jones (USA) and Lewis Richardson (GBR) received their awards before the third and fourth races on Friday night.
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