Italian boxer Angela Carini broke down in tears after she abandoned her bout against Algerian Imane Khelif after 46 seconds in a fight that sparked huge controversy at the Olympics.
Khelif is one of two boxers permitted to fight at the Olympics despite being disqualified from the womens world championships last year for failing testosterone and gender eligibility tests.
In highly-charged scenes at the North Paris Arena, Carini revealed afterwards that she had pulled out after after being hit harder than she had ever been hit before. A first punch dislodged her chinstrap and a second smashed against her chin and bloodied her shorts.
I am heartbroken, said Carini. I went to the ring to honour my father. 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.
The 25-year-old, from Naples, added: I got into the ring to fight. I didnt give up, but one punch hurt too much and so I said enough. Im going out with my head held high.
After the second punch, after years of experience, I felt a strong pain in the nose. I said enough, because I didnt want. I couldnt finish the fight after the punch to the nose. So it was better to put an end to it.
I am in pieces because I am a fighter, they taught me to be a warrior. I have always tried to behave with honour, I have always represented my country with loyalty. This time I didnt manage to because I couldnt fight any more. Regardless of the person I had in front, of me, which doesnt interest me, regardless of all the row, I just wanted to win. I wanted to face the person that I had in front of me and to fight.
Asked if it would have been better to pull out beforehand, Carini said: I am not one that gives in easily. No, even if they had said that we wouldnt fight, I would never have accepted it. I have a warriors mentality. This time I didnt manage. I felt too much pain on my nose. I said enough.
Its not a defeat for me for me if you go in the ring you have already won, regardless of everything else. Im not here to judge. Its not up to me to say if its fair or not fair. I just did my job. I managed to leave with my head held high. Im a mature woman; when I feel I cannot continue, its not giving in, its having the dignity to say enough. I was convinced I would win, I was concentrated, serene. But these punches to the nose hurt, I said enough.
Khelif stopped briefly to speak to the BBC: I am here for gold, the Algerian said. I will fight anybody, I will fight them all.
Reem Alsalem, the UN Special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, expressed her concern about what had happened. Angela Carini rightly followed her instincts and prioritized her physical safety, but she and other female athletes should not have been exposed to this physical and psychological violence based on their sex, she tweeted.
Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, weighed in, saying: I think that athletes who have male genetic characteristics should not be admitted to womens competitions. And not because you want to discriminate against someone, but to protect the right of female athletes to be able to compete on equal terms.
I was emotional yesterday when she wrote I will fight because the dedication, the head, the character, surely also play a role in these things. But then it also matters to be able to compete on equal grounds and from my point of view it was not an even contest.
Before the fight the International Olympic Committees had come under fire for permitting both Khelif and Lin Yuting of Chinese Taipei to compete in the womens category at these Games. Lin is due to face Uzbekistans Sitora Turdibekova in a featherweight bout in Paris on Friday.
Last year both fighters were disqualified from the 2023 womens world champion ships, with International Amateur Boxing president Umar Kremlev saying that DNA tests had proved they had XY chromosomes and were thus excluded. XY is the male chromosome, while XX is the female one.
On Wednesday evening, IBA said that Khelif had initially appealed their decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but withdrew the appeal during the process, making the IBA decision legally binding. It said Yu-ting had not challenged its ruling.
The IBA also directly criticised the IOC, which has less stringent rules for the Paris Olympics. The IOCs differing regulations on these matters, in which IBA is not involved, raise serious questions about both competitive fairness and athletes safety, it added. The IOC position is that both Khelif and Lin are women according to their passports and that everyone in the tournament has passed the competitions eligibility rules. However it has not confirmed exactly what those rules are.
On Thursday, the IOCs spokesman Mark Adams was asked about the controversy. I repeat that all the competitors comply with the eligibility rules, he said. But what I would say is that this involves real people. And, by the way, this is not a transgender issue. I should make this absolutely clear.
However concerns have been raised among the boxing and wider sporting community. On Wednesday Australias boxing captain Caitlin Parker expressed her fears that one of her teammates is fighting in the same 66kg weight category as Khelif. I dont agree with them being allowed to compete in sport, especially combat sports, Parker said. It can be incredibly dangerous.
Agence France-Presse reported that Khelif claimed to be the victim of a big conspiracy after being disqualified just before the final at last years world championships.
The Algerian Olympic Committee said on Wednesday it strongly condemns the unethical targeting and maligning of our esteemed athlete, Imane Khelif, with baseless propaganda from certain foreign media outlets adding: 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.
Full Article: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/aug/01/angela-carini-abandons-fight-after-46-seconds-against-imane-khelif
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I feel like it's a bit late to bring this up now, you can't say she's allowed to compete but not allowed to win :/
^ Hey now that's completely unfair!
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