Italian boxer Angela Carini abandons Olympic fight after 46 seconds against opponent who failed sex test
Paris Olympics 2024: Recent events at the Summer Olympics sparked debate among the sporting fraternity and people on social media. In the round of 16 Olympic boxing bout Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, recorded a controversial win against Italian boxer Angela Carini. On Thursday, August 1, 2024, 46 seconds after Carini and Khelif went head-to-head in a fight, Italian boxer Carini broke down in tears after abandoning her bout.
Angela Carini and Imane Khelif fight at the 2024 Summer Olympics
Angela Carini and Imane Khelif went against each other in a fight at the North Paris Arena. The first two punches from Algerian Khelif dislodged Carini’s chinstrap and bloodied her shorts. After multiple punches from Khelif, Caarini raised her hand. She had a 30-second discussion with her coach, before returning to the ring and refusing to continue the fight. Carini refused to shake hands with the Algerian boxer after the referee announced the verdict of the bout. Imane Khelif was declared the winner, as Carini fell to her knees sobbing.
Gender Controversy Sparked at the Olympics 2024
Imane Khelif was disqualified from the 2023 World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) after failing the eligibility criteria to participate in the women’s competition. Before the Angela Carini and Imane Khelif fight, the International Olympic Committee had already come under fire for permitting Khelif and Lin Yu‑ting of Taiwan to compete in the women’s category at these Games, as both of them were disqualified from the world championships last year. IOC stood behind their judgment and issued a statement that confirmed both boxers had “complied” with the entry regulations.
Angela Carini speaks on her walk-out
Carini explained that her decision to walk out was due to an apparent nose injury. She further revealed that Khelif’s punches were the hardest she had faced in her entire career. She said she pulled out after being hit harder than she had ever been hit and feared her nose was broken. 25-year-old Carini from Naples said “I am heartbroken, I went to the ring to honor my father. I was told a lot of times that I was a warrior but I preferred to stop for my health. I have never felt a punch like this.” She further added it was not up to her to judge whether Khelif should have been barred from the competition.
Angela Carini’s walkout sparks the transgender debate on the internet
Although the Italian boxer clarified her bowing out was not based on gender issues nor was she passing judgment on Khelif’s eligibility to fight, the incident sparked the transgender debate on the internet once again. The topic is garnering mixed reactions from all over social media. Former American Competitive swimmer Riley Gaines took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a post stating, “Men don’t belong in women’s sports #IStandWithAngelCarini”. Elon Musk retweeted this post. Riley Gaines is an active advocate against the inclusion of transgender women in the women’s division of sports.
Imane Khelif’s eligibility being questioned after her win
Imane Khelif’s Paris Olympics win has been overshadowed by allegations that she is not a female and failed gender eligibility testing last year. Amy Broadhurst, who beat Khelif at the 2022 World Championships, took to X (formerly Twitter) to show her support for Khelif in a post saying, “Personally, I don’t think she has done anything to ‘cheat’, I think it’s the way she was born and that’s out of her control… the fact that she has been [beaten] by nine females before says it all.” The Algerian boxer stopped briefly to speak to the BBC and gave the statement, “I am here for gold, I will fight anybody, I will fight them all.”
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