An Italian female boxer who abandoned her Paris Olympics bout against an Algerian fighter caught in the middle of a gender eligibility controversy revealed why she walked away from her match.
Angela Carini stepped into the ring on Thursday to fight Imane Khelif in a 66-kilogram fight. However, 46 seconds into the bout, Carini went to her corner to call off the match. Khelif celebrated while Carini was left in tears.
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Carini was seen going to her corner twice during the fight, once to get her headgear tightened after taking a punch to the face and the other to abandon the fight.
"I went into the ring to fight," she said, via Italy’s ASNA.
"I didn't give up, but a punch hurt too much, and so I said enough. … I'm leaving with my head held high."
Khelif will move on to the next round of the women’s 66-kilogram division. However, the win comes amid a week of controversy.
The Algerian Olympian was disqualified from the 2023 World Boxing Championships after the International Boxing Association determined Khelif failed gender tests. According to Reuters, Khelif was found to have elevated levels of testosterone.
IBA President Umar Kremlev explained the decision at the time, according to Russia’s Tass News Agency.
"Based on DNA tests, we identified a number of athletes who tried to trick their colleagues into posing as women. According to the results of the tests, it was proved that they have XY chromosomes. Such athletes were excluded from competition," Kremlev said.
The International Olympic Committee cleared Khelif to compete and the Algerian Olympic Committee (COA) pushed back on criticism ahead of Thursday’s bout.
"COA strongly condemns the unethical targeting and maligning of our esteemed athlete, Imane Khelif, with baseless propaganda from certain foreign media outlets," the organization said, via Reuters.
"Such attacks on her personality and dignity are deeply unfair, especially as she prepares for the pinnacle of her career at the Olympics. The COA has taken all necessary measures to protect our champion."
Italian officials expressed concerns about Khelif’s eligibility.
"It is surprising that there are no certain, strict, uniform criteria at the international level," Italian Sports Minister Andrea Abodi said, adding it was strange "that there can be a suspicion, and far more than a suspicion, of an unfair and potentially dangerous contest for one of the contenders at the Olympics, an event that symbolizes sporting fairness."
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