Algerian boxer Imene Khelif wins her first Olympic fight after opponent quits amid gender test controversy
VILLEPINTE, France — Imane Khelif of Algeria emerged victorious in her initial Olympic boxing match on Thursday when her opponent, Angela Carini of Italy, withdrew after just 46 seconds.
Khelif was excluded from the 2023 world championships after failing an unspecified gender eligibility assessment, and her participation in the Paris Olympics has sparked controversy.
Carini and Khelif engaged in a brief exchange of blows before Carini walked away from the match, a highly uncommon occurrence in Olympic boxing. Carini’s headgear appeared to have shifted at least once before she decided to quit. Following the decision, Carini did not shake hands with Khelif but instead knelt in the ring, shedding tears.
After the match, a tearful Carini explained that she abandoned the fight due to intense pain in her nose from the initial punches. Carini, who had a small amount of blood on her shorts, clarified that her decision was not politically motivated and that she had no intention of refusing to face Khelif.
“I experienced severe pain in my nose, and as a seasoned boxer, I decided ‘enough,’ because I did not wish to, I did not wish to, I could not complete the match,” Carini shared.
Carini also mentioned that she was not in a position to determine whether Khelif should be permitted to compete, but she had no issue facing her in the ring.
“I am not here to judge or pass judgment,” Carini stated. “If an athlete is this way, and in that sense it’s not right or it is right, it’s not up to me to decide. I just did my job as a boxer. I got into the ring and fought. I did it with my head held high and with a broken heart for not having finished the last kilometer.”
Khelif is a skilled amateur boxer who secured a silver medal at the International Boxing Association’s 2022 world championships. The same governing body disqualified her from last year’s championships shortly before her gold-medal match due to what it alleged were heightened levels of testosterone.
The 25-year-old entered the ring at the North Paris Arena to a chorus of cheers, yet the audience was left puzzled by the abrupt conclusion of the bout. Khelif, who will compete again on Saturday, declined to speak with reporters.
“I am heartbroken because I am a fighter,” Carini expressed. “My father taught me to be a warrior. I have always stepped into the ring with honor and I have always (served) my country with loyalty. And this time I couldn’t do it because I couldn’t fight anymore, and so I ended the match.”
Khelif and Lin Yu‑ting of Taiwan have suddenly come under significant scrutiny for their presence in Paris following years of amateur competition. Lin clinched IBA world championships in 2018 and 2022, but the governing body stripped her of a bronze medal last year for failing to meet undisclosed eligibility criteria in a biochemical test.
Lin will kick off her Paris campaign on Friday, facing Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova in her opening match after receiving a first-round bye.
The Algerian Olympic Committee released a statement on Wednesday denouncing what it called “falsehoods” and “unethical targeting and defamation of our esteemed athlete, Imane Khelif, by certain international media outlets.”
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, who was visiting Italian athletes in the Olympic Village on Thursday, criticized the fact that Carini had to face Khelif, stating that since 2021, she has opposed the participation of athletes with “genetically male” characteristics in women’s competitions.
“We must be cautious, as in an effort to avoid discrimination, we might actually be discriminating” against women’s rights, Meloni remarked.
She emphasized the need to ensure that athletes’ rights are protected so they can compete on a level playing field.
“In these matters, what matters is your dedication, your mind and character, but it also matters to have equality in arms,” Meloni added.
Khelif and Lin are both two-time Olympians who participated in the Tokyo Games without controversy. Lin has been a high-level amateur boxer for ten years and Khelif for six years. They were permitted to compete in Paris by the IOC task force, which oversaw the last two Olympic boxing tournaments.
The IOC defended their eligibility to compete on Tuesday. This year, Olympic boxing achieved gender equality for the first time, with 124 men and 124 women competing in Paris.
“All participants in the women’s category are abiding by the competition eligibility regulations,” IOC spokesperson Mark Adams stated. ”They are identified as female on their passports and have been confirmed as such, meeting the criteria that they are female.”
Lin is the top seed in the 57-kilogram category, although Olympic seeding often does not accurately reflect the top contenders for a medal in a division.
Over the past three years, several sports have updated their gender regulations, including World Aquatics, World Athletics, and the International Cycling Union. The track body also tightened rules last year regarding athletes with differences in sex development.
The IOC based its eligibility decisions on boxers on the gender-related regulations that were in place during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
The IOC has taken over boxing in Paris because the IBA has been prohibited from the previous two Olympics due to governance issues, lack of financial transparency, and numerous instances of corruption in officiating and judging.
The IOC has stripped the IBA of its Olympic status, a federation led by president Umar Kremlev, a Russian official. Kremlev brought in Russian state-owned Gazprom as the primary sponsor and relocated much of the IBA’s operations to Russia.
Since then, the IBA has lost over thirty members who have established a new organization called World Boxing, seeking recognition from the IOC as the sport’s governing body before the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The IBA has utilized the presence of these boxers in Paris as an opportunity to criticize the IOC. Following the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s affirmation of the IOC’s ban earlier this year, the IBA appealed to the Swiss Federal Tribunal.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the banned organization claimed that both boxers did not undergo a “testosterone examination” last year but rather were subjected to a separate, recognized test for their disqualification. The specifics of the test remain undisclosed, with the IBA refusing to provide further details.
Women’s boxers have been questioned about Khelif and Lin repeatedly this week. While many have expressed concerns, others have called for more deliberation on this complex issue.
“I do not support their participation, particularly in combat sports where it can be extremely hazardous,” Australian middleweight Caitlin Parker stated. “But right now, my focus is on each fight. I have sparred with men before, but in combat sports, it can be risky and should be thoroughly examined. It is positive that these issues are coming to light and are being scrutinized further.
“Biologically and genetically, they will have advantages. Combat sports can be dangerous. Fairness is paramount in sports.”
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