Gold medal-winning British boxer Nicola Adams has slammed the ‘unfair and dangerous’ decision to allow Algerian boxer Imane Khelif to fight in the Olympics.
A massive row broke out at the Paris games this week after Khelif, who is believed to have lived since birth as a female, fought Italian rival Angela Carini in a bout that lasted just 46 seconds.
The 25-year-old, one of two athletes thrown out of last year’s world championships in New Delhi after failing to meet gender eligibility criteria, is now eyeing up a medal after progressing to the quarter-finals.
Taking to social media on Friday morning, Ms Adams wrote: ‘I stand with Angela Carini.
‘After years of fighting for women’s boxing to even exist in the Olympics and then all the training they go through to get there it was hard to watch another fighter be forced [to] give up on her Olympic dreams.
Team GB’s boxing star Nicola Adams, who won gold in London 2012, made the statement on social media on Friday morning
A massive row broke out at the Paris games this week after Khelif (left), who has lived since birth as a female, fought Italian rival Angela Carini in a bout that lasted just 46 seconds
‘People not born as biological women, that have been through male puberty should not be able to complete [sic] in women’s sport. Not only is this unfair it’s dangerous!’
It comes after the boxer, who won gold for Team GB in London 2012, posted on X last night stating: ‘I’m about to say something’.
Thursday’s fight between Carini and Khelif, both 25, has caused controversy after the Italian – ranked 54 in the world – conceded after less than a minute.
During the fight, Carini was hit twice, suffered a suspected broken nose and barely threw a punch before telling her corner: ‘It’s not fair.’ She then sank to her knees, beat the canvas in frustration and refused to shake Khelif’s hand.
After the one-sided 66kg category bout ended Carini said she quit the bout to ‘save my life’.
Olympic bosses quickly defended Khelif, slamming the ‘aggression’ and ‘discrimination’ from critics.
Khelif, who has previously spoken about her battle to get into boxing from an impoverished village in Algeria, shared the statement on social media and wrote: ‘Praise be to God. Divine justice.’
The row follows the revelation Khelif failed an unspecified gender test last year.
