Italian boxer Angela Carini has spoken out after withdrawing from her Round of 16 matches against the controversial Imane Khelif at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Carini was visibly emotional after quitting just 46 seconds into the bout on Thursday, August 1.
After taking a hard punch from Khelif, she signalled to her corner to stop the fight, and the referee declared the Algerian the winner.
However, Carini refused to acknowledge Khelif, instead collapsing to her knees, overwhelmed by the abrupt end to her Olympic journey.
Angela Carini abandons her fight against Imane Khelif, a biological male, just a few minutes into the match.
Ban men from competing in women’s sports! pic.twitter.com/GLVBgJycvF
— Clown World ™ 🤡 (@ClownWorld_) August 1, 2024
Angela Carini speaks out
The 25-year-old later explained that she stopped the fight because of the force of Khelif’s punch, admitting she had never been hit that hard before.
“After the second punch, I couldn’t breathe anymore,” she said, as quoted by the Mirror.
This is the face of a woman forced into fighting a male by #olympicgames rules that harm women. Shame on the International Olympic Federation @iocmedia The darkest day for women’s sport. IOC sanctioned male violence against women. Angela Carini has been cheated out of her Olympic… pic.twitter.com/VcQV8XN8Qz
— Women’s Rights Network – WRN (@WomensRightsNet) August 1, 2024
“I went to my coach and said ‘enough’ because it takes maturity and courage to stop. I didn’t feel like fighting anymore.”
The controversy surrounding Algerian boxer Imane Khelif
Khelif’s participation in the Olympics has been shrouded in controversy.
The Algerian boxer failed a testosterone level test before the gold medal match at last year’s World Championship but was cleared to compete in Paris.
This biological male just left his female opponent in tears after beating her in the Paris Olympics WOMENS boxing.
Imane Khelif, who claims to be a woman, previously failed a gender test after being found to have male XY chromosomes.
Should men be allowed in women’s sports? pic.twitter.com/qwLtH57cNl
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) August 1, 2024
An accomplished amateur, Khelif won a silver medal at the 2022 International Boxing Association’s world championships.
However, the same governing body disqualified her from last year’s championship final due to elevated testosterone levels.
IOC defends Khelif’s inclusion in Paris 2024
Despite the controversy, the IOC has defended Khelif’s right to compete in the multisport event.
“Everyone competing in the women’s category is complying with the competition eligibility rules,” said IOC spokesperson Mark Adams via VOA News.
“Their passports state that they are female, and it is confirmed they meet the necessary criteria.”
