Algerian boxer Khelif wins as Italy’s Carini abandons Olympic fight

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who failed a gender eligibility test last year, quickly defeated her Italian opponent Angela Carini in just 46 seconds at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Khelif’s powerful punches forced Carini to retreat to her corner, ultimately leading her to abandon the fight because of severe nose pain.

“I went into the ring to fight. I didn’t give up, but a punch hurt too much and so I said enough,” Carini explained after the bout, as reported by ANSA news agency.

Italian officials concerned about Olympics’ fairness after Carini incident

Italian officials, including Sports Minister Andrea Abodi and Family Minister Eugenia Roccella, voiced concerns about the fairness of the competition.

Abodi stressed the need for consistent hormonal regulations across all sports events to ensure fair competition and athlete safety.

“In the event that represents the highest values of sport, the safety of female and male athletes must be guaranteed, as well as respect for fair competition,” Abodi stated.

Carini remained defiant despite her defeat.

“For me, it’s not a defeat. For me, when you climb those ropes, you’re already a warrior, you’re already a winner,” she said.

Her coach, Emanuele Renzini, revealed that he had offered her the option to back out of the bout. “I asked her, ‘Angela, if you don’t want to go up, let’s not go,’” Renzini said. “But she told me, ‘this is my Olympics, I struggled to be here, I want to fight for my medal.’”

Controversy over gender eligibility rules in Olympics

Khelif’s participation in the Olympics has sparked significant controversy because of her previous disqualification from the 2023 World Championships for elevated testosterone levels.

The International Boxing Association (IBA) disqualified her, stating that she did not meet its eligibility criteria for female athletes.

Despite this, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed Khelif to compete in Paris, stating that she met its criteria.

The Algerian Olympic Committee (COA) defended Khelif, condemning what it described as “malicious and unethical attacks” from foreign media.

They argued that Khelif’s elevated testosterone levels resulted from medical reasons and labeled her World Championships disqualification a “conspiracy.”

IOC spokesperson Mark Adams addressed the issue, calling for a reduction in heated rhetoric and emphasizing that Khelif met the IOC’s eligibility criteria, which have been consistent since the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“Everyone competing in the women’s category… is complying with competition eligibility rules. They are women in their passports and it’s stated in there that they are female,” Adams stated.