The Italian boxer, Angela Carini, stopped her Olympics welterweight match against Algeria’s Imane Khelif just 46 seconds in. Carini’s coach, Emanuele Renzini, revealed that Carini was cautioned not to fight Khelif due to concerns over Khelif’s gender eligibility. Khelif had failed gender eligibility tests at the 2023 World Championships.
After receiving two punches to the face, Carini appeared visibly distressed and broke down in tears. Renzini mentioned, “I don’t know if her nose is broken. I have to speak with the girl. But many people in Italy tried to call and tell her, ‘Don’t go please: it’s a man, it’s dangerous for you.'”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had addressed the eligibility of Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting following their disqualification from last year’s world championships, which were overseen by the Russian-led International Boxing Association (IBA). The IBA is no longer involved in Olympic boxing.
The IOC confirmed, “All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations.”
Reflecting on her experience, Carini said, “I went to the ring to honor my father. I was often told I was a warrior, but I preferred to stop for my health. I’ve never felt a punch like this. After the second punch, I felt a strong pain in my nose. I decided it was better to end the fight.”
Khelif, undeterred by the controversy, stated, “I’m here for the gold. I fight everybody.”
The fight was officially declared abandoned, allowing Khelif to advance to the quarterfinals, where she will face Hungary’s Luca Hamori on Saturday.
