The GIST: Algerian boxer Imane Khelif will fight for a gold medal on Friday after winning yesterday’s 66kg semifinal, a moment of should-be celebration that’s been marred by unwarranted controversy due to a swarm of misinformation surrounding her gender.

The details: It all began with Khelif’s first Olympic fight last Thursday, which her opponent, Italy’s Angela Carini, quit after just 46 seconds. Carini refused to shake Khelif’s hand after the bout and later said she’d “never been hit so hard in [her] life.”

• The quick ending and Carini’s post-fight comments led to increased scrutiny, with many falsely claiming that Khelif, a cis woman, was either a man or transgender.
• The reason? Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting were both abruptly disqualified from the International Boxing Association’s (IBA’s) world championship last year, with the Russian-backed governing body claiming both women failed unspecified gender tests.

Zooming in: Citing issues with the IBA’s integrity, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned the organization from the Olympics in 2023. The IBA is also no longer recognized as the sport’s governing body.

• Plus, as discussed on the latest episode of The GIST of It, the IBA has refused to specify the “gender tests” Khelif and Lin failed and has changed its story at least twice since Khelif’s initial Olympics win.
• The IOC, on the other hand, released a statement in full support of both Khelif and Lin, as both boxers have provided national documentation confirming their gender and were medically cleared to fight.

What’s next: Carini, the Italian boxer who quit the opening fight vs. Khelif, has since apologized for her part in sparking the controversy, saying she has “nothing against Khelif” and would “give her a hug” if they met again.

• As mentioned, Khelif will fight for the gold on Friday, while Lin competes in her 57kg semi bout today at 3:30 p.m. ET. Eyes on the prize.

The GIST: The 5x5 women’s basketball knockout stage is underway as you read this: The quarter-finals tipped off at 5 a.m. ET and will culminate with seven-time defending gold medalists Team USA vs. Nigeria at 3:30 p.m. ET. Here’s a look at the hoopin’ by the numbers.

79: Belgium’s Emma Meeseman shines in Olympic play, having already scored 79 points in these Games (the most of all players), including a team-high 24-point effort against the USA. Can she help her squad pull off an upset against Spain today at 8:30 a.m. ET?

24: Led by two-time WNBA All-Star Satou Sabally, Team Germany is raining three-pointers, draining 24 treys so far to mark the highest three-point field goal percentage in the field. Watch them let it fly in a can’t-miss 12 p.m. ET matchup with defensive powerhouse France.

58: The Team USA women have won 58 straight Olympic games, a streak dating back to the 1992 Barcelona Games. Dominant doesn’t even begin to cover it.

20.3: That’s how many points red, white, and blue superstars A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart are averaging individually in France, the first duo to do so through the first three games of a single Olympics.

1: Nigeria is the Cinderella story of this tourney, defeating both Australia and Canada in group stage play to become the first African team (women’s or men’s) to make it to the knockout stage.

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Google’s Most Searched Playground: Paris 2024, a Where’s Waldo–style hunt for the 20 most searched sports and other moments from the Games. Beautifully illustrated and straight-up addicting.

How college football, which once powered the NCAA-to-Olympics pipeline, now puts it in jeopardy. The ground is shifting in the NCAA — watch this space.

The Positive DONUT community. Add some sunshine to your life with wellness and mindfulness tips, not to mention cute animal photos. Count us in.

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