Angela Carini (Italy) decided to stop the match because she was worried about her life, when punching Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who caused controversy over her gender, in the 1/8 round of the women’s -66kg category at the 2024 Paris Olympics. After receiving a punch from the opponent, she decided to quit after 46 seconds.
“I quit to ensure my safety. My nose was very painful, so I automatically had to stop. It was better. It started bleeding right after the first punch,” Carini shared after the match.
Angela Carini said that boxing was her life, but when she felt something was wrong, she felt the need to stop.
“It’s not surrender, it’s an act of maturity,” Carini said.
Imane Khelif is a talented amateur boxer from Algeria who won silver at the 2022 International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships. However, the same governing body disqualified Imane Khelif from the 2023 tournament, just before the gold medal match.
The IBA said that Imane Khelif’s DNA test results showed a sudden increase in the XY chromosome set (which belongs to men). Imane Khelif was then banned from boxing by the IBA on suspicion of being transgender.
Meanwhile, the Paris 2024 Olympic organizing committee said that Imane Khelif would be closely monitored at the tournament. Test results will be carefully examined and appropriate sanctions will be issued if there are any irregularities.
