Forty-six seconds. That was the sum total of time a female Italian boxer lasted in the ring at the Paris Olympics before she retired from a bout against against an Algerian fighter caught in a gender eligibility furore.
Imane Khalif was cleared to compete at the 2024 Olympics having earlier failed a testosterone level test, but his opponent made her early exit during a first round meeting.
Carini was seen going to her corner twice during the fight, once to get her headgear tightened after taking a punch to the face and the other to abandon the bout.
Speaking after the match, the heartbroken Italian told Italy’s ASNA: “I’m used to suffering. I’ve never taken a punch like that, it’s impossible to continue. I’m nobody to say it’s illegal.
“I got into the ring to fight. But I didn’t feel like it anymore after the first minute. I started to feel a strong pain in my nose. I didn’t give up, but a punch hurt too much and so I said enough. I’m leaving with my head held high.”
Today, Angela Carini had her Olympics dreams shattered by Imane Khelif, a male boxer.
— Hazel Appleyard (@HazelAppleyard_) August 1, 2024
It is suspected that he BROKE HER NOSE.
Don’t let this pass quietly. MEN SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO BEAT WOMEN FOR SPORT.
SAVE WOMEN’S SPORTS. pic.twitter.com/i5GMdgWrwb
The referee announced Khalif as the winner but Carini refused to acknowledge her opponent.
She fell to her knees in tears and despair as she came to terms with the end of her Olympic dream at the hands of an opponent cleared to fight by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
An absolute travesty at the Olympics.
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) August 1, 2024
Angela Carini is forced to box against a biological male. She quits after just 45 seconds, and cries hysterically as her opponent is declared the winner.
Don't look away. This is wokeness. pic.twitter.com/wOkVRs88t5
Khelif will move on to the next round of the women’s 66-kilogram division. However, the win comes amid a week of controversy which will closely follow that progress.
Fox News reports the Algerian Olympian was disqualified from the 2023 World Boxing Championships after the International Boxing Association determined Khelif failed gender tests.
According to Reuters, Khelif was found to have elevated levels of testosterone.
IBA President Umar Kremlev explained the decision at the time, according to Russia’s Tass News Agency as cited by Fox.
“Based on DNA tests, we identified a number of athletes who tried to trick their colleagues into posing as women. According to the results of the tests, it was proved that they have XY chromosomes. Such athletes were excluded from competition,” Kremlev said.
Algeria’s Imane Khelif arrives for the women’s 66kg preliminaries round of 16 boxing match against Italy’s Angela Carini during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the North Paris Arena, in Villepinte on August 1, 2024. ( MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Imane Khelif of Team Algeria punches Angela Carini of Team Italy during the Women’s. 66kg preliminary round match on day six of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at North Paris Arena on August 01, 2024 in Paris, France. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
The IOC cleared Khelif to compete and the Algerian Olympic Committee (COA) pushed back on criticism ahead of Thursday’s bout.
“COA strongly condemns the unethical targeting and maligning of our esteemed athlete, Imane Khelif, with baseless propaganda from certain foreign media outlets,” the organization said, via Reuters.
“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.”
