Algeria’s Imane Khelif (Photo by MOHD RASFAN / AFP) (Photo by MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images)

A significant update has come out that changes everything about the backlash sent to boxer Imane Khelif.

Imane Khelif of Algeria won her opening Olympic boxing bout Thursday when opponent Angela Carini of Italy quit after just 46 seconds.

Major backlash would come out on social media after news surfaced that Khelif was disqualified from the 2023 world championships after failing an unspecified gender eligibility test, which made her presence at the Paris Olympics a divisive issue.

Angela Carini only took two punches to the face before she decided she did not want to take that punching power anymore.

Carini refused to shake Khelif’s hand after the decision was announced, and she cried in the ring before leaving.

Social media erupted over claims that Imane Khelif of Algeria was a man.

As it turns out, those claims of her being a transgender boxer were untrue.

Imane Khelif was indeed born a woman.

Angela Carini’s decision to quit her bout against Imane Khelif after just 46 seconds at the Paris Olympics led to emotional scenes from the Italian, who was reduced to tears. Whether she likes it or not, she lost to a woman.

International Olympic Committee Releases Statement On Backlash of Imane Khelif

A lot has been said about Imane Khelif, but much of this has not been the truth. Social media thinks she is a transgender who just destroyed a female boxer, when in reality, she is a woman.

According to Reuters, Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting failed a test mandated by the International Boxing Association in 2023.

However, in a statement Thursday, the IOC ripped that decision, saying that the two athletes were “victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA” and added that “every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination.”

The fight was called off after just 46 seconds.

Italian boxer Angela Carini has withdrawn from her fight against Imane Khelif seconds into their Olympic welterweight bout, amid an ongoing row over the Algerian’s eligibility for the Games.

Khelif was declared the winner by the referee following Carini’s decision to abandon the bout after just 46 seconds.

Carini was punched twice by Khelif in the opening round of their women’s welterweight fight in Paris before withdrawing.

Khelif landed an early right hand on Carini and was then close to landing a series of punches in the opening exchange, with Carini raising her hand to the referee and having her headgear checked by her corner after it appeared to come loose.

After speaking briefly to her coaches, she returned to fight and was immediately caught by another right hand from Khelif.

Carini then raised her glove again to the referee, officially signalling her decision to withdraw from the fight.

Shortly after, the Italian fell to her knees in tears when the referee raised Khelif’s hand at the announcement of the official result.

The Algerian attempted to embrace the Italian twice but was dismissed, with Carini refusing to shake her opponent’s hand.

The Telegraph report that the Italian suffered a suspected broken nose in the fight, although this has not been confirmed.

Khelif’s participation in the Games is controversial, as the Algerian was disqualified from last year’s World Championships for failing gender eligibility tests.

Khelif was disqualified hours before her gold medal bout at the Championships in New Delhi after she failed to meet the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) eligibility criteria, with the BBC reporting that she failed a testosterone level test.

Reuters report that IBA president Umar Kremlev told Russian news agency TASS at the time that Khelif and Taiwan’s double world champion Lin Yu-ting, who was also disqualified, had “XY chromosomes”.

Those World Championships were organised by the IBA, which is no longer a federation recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Carini withdrew from her fight with Khelif (Image: Getty)

As a result, the boxing competition at the 2024 Olympics is being organised by another ad-hoc body, the Paris Boxing Unit (PBU), which approved both Khelif and Yu-ting to take part in the Games.

“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 in accordance with rules 1.4 and 3.1 of the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit,” the IOC said in a statement.

“The PBU endeavoured to restrict amendments to minimise the impact on athletes’ preparation and guaranteeing consistency between Olympic Games.”

Speaking immediately after the fight, Carini said: “I have always honoured my country with loyalty. This time I didn’t succeed because I couldn’t fight anymore.

“So I put an end to the match.”

Khelif will now progress to the quarter-finals of the women’s welterweight competition, with the fight scheduled for Saturday against an opponent which is yet to be confirmed.