Imane Khelif of Algeria won her opening Olympic boxing bout on Thursday when opponent Angela Carini of Italy quit after just 46 seconds. Khelif had been disqualified from the 2023 world championships after failing an unspecified gender eligibility test, making her presence at the Paris Olympics a divisive issue. There is no indication that she identifies as transgender.
The match saw only a few punch exchanges before Carini abandoned the bout, an extremely unusual occurrence in Olympic boxing. Carini’s headgear apparently became dislodged twice before she quit. She refused to shake Khelif's hand after the decision was announced and cried in the ring before leaving.
Afterward, a tearful Carini explained that she quit due to intense pain in her nose after the opening punches. Despite having a spot of blood on her trunks, she clarified that she wasn't making a political statement or refusing to fight Khelif. “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.
**PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 01:** Angela Carini of Team Italy reacts after unexpectedly abandoning her Women's 66kg preliminary round match against Imane Khelif of Team Algeria in the first round on day six of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at North Paris Arena on August 01, 2024. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Khelif, a highly skilled amateur boxer, previously secured a silver medal at the International Boxing Association's 2022 world championships. However, she faced controversy when the same organization disqualified her from last year's championships just before her gold-medal match, citing elevated testosterone levels.
At 25 years old, Khelif was greeted with enthusiastic cheers as she entered the ring at the North Paris Arena. The crowd, however, was left bewildered by the abrupt conclusion of the bout.
Angela Carini of Italy abandoned her Women's 66kg preliminary round match against Imane Khelif of Algeria just 46 seconds into the first round on day six of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at North Paris Arena. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Khelif, a notable amateur boxer, previously secured a silver medal at the 2022 International Boxing Association (IBA) world championships. However, she was disqualified from last year's championships before her gold-medal match due to elevated testosterone levels, according to the IBA.
Upon entering the ring at the North Paris Arena, the 25-year-old Khelif was met with enthusiastic cheers. However, the crowd was left puzzled by the bout's abrupt conclusion. Khelif, who is set to fight again on Saturday, did not speak to reporters following the match.
Carini later explained her decision to quit, citing severe pain in her nose from the opening punches. She clarified that her decision was not a political statement and that she has no issue fighting Khelif. "I am not here to judge or pass judgment," Carini said. "If an athlete is this way, and in that sense it’s not right or it is right, it’s not up to me to decide. I just did my job as a boxer. I got into the ring and fought. I did it with my head held high and with a broken heart for not having finished the last kilometer.”
Carini expressed her heartbreak, saying, “I am a fighter. My father taught me to be a warrior. I have always stepped into the ring with honor and have always served my country with loyalty. This time, I couldn’t do it because I couldn’t fight anymore, so I ended the match.”
Both Khelif and Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan have faced increased scrutiny for their participation in Paris after years of amateur competition. Lin, a two-time IBA world champion in 2018 and 2022, was stripped of a bronze medal last year due to unspecified eligibility requirements in a biochemical test. Lin is set to begin her Paris run on Friday, facing Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova after receiving a first-round bye.
The Algerian Olympic Committee issued a statement on Wednesday condemning what it described as “lies” and “unethical targeting and maligning of our esteemed athlete, Imane Khelif, with baseless propaganda from certain foreign media outlets.”
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, visiting Italian athletes in the Olympic Village on Thursday, criticized the decision that led to Carini boxing Khelif. She stated that she has opposed allowing athletes with “genetically male” characteristics to compete against women since 2021.
“We have to pay attention, in an attempt to not discriminate, that we’re actually discriminating against women’s rights,” Meloni said. She emphasized the importance of ensuring a level playing field for all athletes. “In these things what counts is your dedication, your head, and character, but it also counts having a parity of arms,” she added.
Khelif and Lin Yu-ting are both two-time Olympians who competed in the Tokyo Games without controversy. Both have long careers as elite-level amateur boxers, with Khelif boxing for six years and Lin for a decade. They were permitted to compete in Paris by the IOC task force, which has overseen the past two Olympic boxing tournaments.
On Tuesday, the IOC defended their right to compete, with spokesperson Mark Adams stating, “Everyone competing in the women’s category is complying with the competition eligibility rules. They are women in their passports, and it’s stated that this is the case, that they are female.” This year, Olympic boxing achieved gender parity for the first time, with 124 men and 124 women competing in Paris.
Lin, who is the top seed in the 57-kilogram category, begins her Paris run on Friday against Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova after receiving a first-round bye. Despite being the top seed, Olympic seeding does not always predict the top medal contenders in a division.
In the past three years, several sports organizations, including World Aquatics, World Athletics, and the International Cycling Union, have updated their gender rules. The track body also tightened rules on athletes with differences in sex development last year. The IOC based its eligibility decisions for boxers on the gender-related rules from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
The IOC is managing boxing in Paris due to the IBA's ban from the past two Olympics, stemming from governance issues, financial transparency concerns, and allegations of corruption in judging and refereeing. The IBA, led by Russian president Umar Kremlev, lost its Olympic status and has been replaced by a new group called World Boxing, which seeks IOC recognition before the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The IBA issued a statement on Wednesday claiming that Khelif and Lin were disqualified last year not due to a “testosterone examination” but a “separate and recognized test,” the specifics of which remain confidential.
Australian middleweight Caitlin Parker voiced concerns about the participation of Khelif and Lin, saying, “I don’t agree with that being allowed, especially in combat sports as it can be incredibly dangerous. Fairness is what it’s all about. We all want fairness in sport.” She highlighted the potential advantages and dangers in combat sports, stressing the need for serious consideration of the issue.