In a shocking turn of events, Italian boxer Angela Carini abruptly abandoned her Olympic match against Algerian opponent Imane Khelif in the Paris ring on Thursday. The bout lasted only 46 seconds before Carini, visibly distraught, walked away from the fight, citing severe pain and injuries caused by Khelif’s opening punches.
Khelif, a two-time Olympian and accomplished amateur boxer, was disqualified from the 2023 world championships after failing an unspecified gender eligibility test. Her presence at the Paris Olympics has sparked controversy, with some questioning her eligibility to compete in the women’s division.
Carini, who had a spot of blood on her trunks, insisted that she was not making a political statement or refusing to fight Khelif. Instead, she attributed her decision to quit to the intense pain she experienced after the opening punches. “I felt a severe pain in my nose, and with the maturity of a boxer, I said ‘enough,’ because I didn’t want to, I didn’t want to, I couldn’t finish the match,” Carini said.
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited Carini in the locker room and consoled her, posting a photo on her Instagram page. “I know you won’t give up, Angela,” Meloni wrote. “And I know one day you will win what you deserve with effort and sweat. In a competition that is finally equal.”
Khelif’s next opponent is Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori, who has expressed no concern about fighting the Algerian boxer. “I’m not scared,” Hamori said. “I don’t care about the press story and social media. If she or he is a man, it will be a bigger victory for me if I win.”
Hamori has never sparred with Khelif before but has competed against her in other tournaments. She has vowed to stay focused on her own performance and not get distracted by the controversy surrounding Khelif’s presence in the tournament.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has repeatedly defended Khelif’s right to compete, citing gender parity in boxing for the first time this year. The IOC has also emphasized that its eligibility decisions are based on gender-related rules that applied at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
The International Boxing Association (IBA), which was banned by the IOC in 2019 due to governance issues, has been critical of Khelif’s participation in the tournament. The IBA claimed that Khelif did not undergo a testosterone examination last year but was subject to a separate test that remains confidential.
As the controversy surrounding Khelif continues to unfold, athletes like Carini are speaking out about their experiences competing against boxers with disputed gender identities. In a statement released by the Italian Olympic Committee, Carini said she was heartbroken about having to withdraw from the match but refused to let her emotions get the better of her. “My father taught me to be a warrior,” she said. “I have always stepped into the ring with honor and I have always served my country with loyalty.”
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