In Villepinte, France, Imane Khelif and Angela Carini exchanged just a few punches in their 46-second bout in Paris, which was enough for Carini to end her Olympic debut abruptly on Thursday. The Italian boxer retreated to her corner, leaving the match mid-fight—a highly uncommon occurrence in Olympic boxing.
Carini did not shake Khelif’s hand after the referee declared Khelif the winner. Instead, she broke down in tears in the ring. She later explained that she quit due to severe pain from the initial punches.
“I felt a severe pain in my nose, and with the maturity of a boxer, I said ‘enough’ because I couldn’t finish the match,” said Carini.
Khelif, disqualified from the 2023 world championships after failing a gender eligibility test, has been a controversial figure in the Paris Olympics. However, Carini denied that her actions were politically motivated or a statement against Khelif, stating that she merely acted as a boxer and was in no position to judge Khelif’s eligibility.
Carini later received a visit from Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, who expressed her support and motivation for future efforts.
Khelif is a decorated amateur, having secured a silver medal at the 2022 world championships. Her competitor in the quarterfinals, Anna Luca Hamori from Hungary, expressed confidence and no concern over the controversy surrounding Khelif.
“I’m not scared,” Hamori said. “It will be a bigger victory for me if I win.”
Khelif, listed as female on her passport, has never sparred with Hamori, but they have competed in the same tournaments before. Hamori emphasized that her focus remains on her own performance, ignoring external controversies.
Meanwhile, Lin Yu‑ting of Taiwan, another scrutinized boxer, will begin her matches on Friday. Lin was stripped of a bronze medal last year due to eligibility issues according to the IBA.
The Algerian Olympic Committee condemned the negative media attention towards Khelif, calling it “baseless propaganda.”
Premier Meloni criticized the decision to allow Khelif to compete, cautioning against discrimination that could undermine women’s rights.
Khelif and Lin, both two-time Olympians, have been in the spotlight amid evolving gender eligibility rules in various sports. The International Olympic Committee defended their eligibility based on guidelines from the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The governance of boxing in Paris falls under the IOC after it stripped the IBA of its Olympic status due to governance issues and alleged corruption. The IBA is now led by Umar Kremlev, with ties to Russian state-owned Gazprom. The IBA recently lost numerous members who formed World Boxing, aiming for IOC recognition ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The IBA criticized the IOC’s decision to ban it and highlighted the controversies around the boxers to argue its case. The organization has appealed the decision and has kept the specifics of its eligibility tests confidential.
Despite challenges, Khelif continues her Olympic journey with hopes of securing a medal, while the debate over gender eligibility in sports presses on.