A boxer who was previously banned from competing in the World Championships because she failed testosterone and gender eligibility tests has won her opening Olympic bout after her opponent quit.
Algeria’s Imane Khelif won in just 46 seconds after Italian Angela Carini quit in the 66kg category on Thursday.
The pair had 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.
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The Italian refused to shake Khelif’s hand after the decision was announced, and cried in the ring before leaving.
“It hurt so much. I am heartbroken. I went to the ring to honour my father,” said Carini. “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.
“After the second blow, and after years of experience in the ring and a lifetime of fighting, I felt extreme pain in my nose.”
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Lord Sebastian Coe says ‘clarity’ is needed around gender eligibility policy after Imane Khelif defeated Angela Carini
Khelif said after the fight: “First, I thank all the Algerian people, after this first victory. I hope to achieve a second victory to secure a medal, and then think about the gold medal.
“I tell the Algerian people that I am working to provide the best I can in order to make them happy.”
Khelif was disqualified hours before her gold medal bout at the World Championships in New Delhi last year when she failed to meet the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) eligibility criteria.
Meanwhile, Lin Yu-ting of Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) will take on Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova in the 57kg event on Friday.
Double world champion Lin lost her bronze medal at the world championships after she failed to meet the organisers’ criteria.
Italy’s Angela Carini was unable to continue after injuring her nose
International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokesperson Mark Adams defended its decision to allow the women to compete earlier this week, saying: “I would just say that everyone competing in the women’s category is complying with the competition eligibility rules.
“They are women in their passports and it is stated that is the case.”
He added it would be “invidious and unfair” to discuss details of individual athletes.
Algeria’s Olympic committee (COA) previously condemned the “baseless” attacks on Khelif.
“COA strongly condemns the unethical targeting and maligning of our esteemed athlete, Imane Khelif, with baseless propaganda from certain foreign media outlets,” it said in a statement.
“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.”
Italy’s family minister Eugenia Roccella said on Wednesday: “It is surprising that there are no certain, strict, uniform criteria at the international level.”
Angela Carini refused to shake Imane Khelif’s hand after their bout
She added that 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 symbolises sporting fairness”.
Carini concluded: “I’ve always gone into the ring with honour, I’ve always fought for my country, loyally, but this time I couldn’t as I wasn’t able to fight anymore.”
The IBA, which is not involved in the organisation of the Olympics, released a statement questioning why the women have been allowed to compete in Paris.
It added that the women had been banned from the world championships in the interest of fairness and safety.
The IBA was stripped of its status as the global governing body for boxing by the IOC in June last year because it failed to complete reforms on governance, finance and ethical issues.
A joint Paris 2024 Boxing Unit/IOC Statement read: “We have seen in reports misleading information about two female athletes competing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The two athletes have been competing in international boxing competitions for many years in the women’s category, including the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships and IBA-sanctioned tournaments.
“These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA. Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process.
“The current aggression against these two athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision, which was taken without any proper procedure – especially considering that these athletes had been competing in top-level competition for many years.
“Such an approach is contrary to good governance.”
Boxing at the Paris Games is being run by officials appointed by the IOC, which said it is using rule books based on the version that applied at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Algeria’s Imane Khelif is targeting gold in the women’s 66kg category