Algerian Imane Khelif’s much-hyped Paris Olympics welterweight fight against Italy’s Angela Carini in the round of 16 lasted 46 seconds after Carini had to stop the bout following a powerful punch to the nose.
Khelif has been in the spotlight since being disqualified before a gold-medal match at the 2023 World Championships for failing International Boxing Association (IBA) eligibility rules that prevent athletes with XY chromosomes competing in women’s events.
She was ruled eligible, however, to compete in Paris, a competition run by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after it stripped the IBA of international recognition last year over issues related to governance and finance.
Khelif entered the packed North Paris arena amid loud cheers from fans waving Algeria flags, and the Italian was instantly no match for her opponent’s speed and longer reach.
Carini, who is six centimetres shorter than the Algerian, went to her coach after 30 seconds to fix her headgear but after briefly resuming the fight she returned to her corner and stopped before quickly leaving the ring.
“I have always honoured my country with loyalty,” Carini said with tears in her eyes. “This time I didn’t succeed because I couldn’t fight any more.
“I put an end to the match because after the second blow, after years of experience in the ring and a life of fighting, I felt a strong pain in my nose.
“I said ‘that’s enough’ because ... I could not bring the match to an end. So I thought, maybe it’s better to put an end to the match.”
Carini wept while talking to reporters before being taken away.
Some sports have limited the levels of testosterone allowed for athletes competing in women’s competition, while others ban everyone who has been through male puberty.
Boxing is run by the IOC after the IBA’s recognition was stripped, and it has not updated eligibility rules but used those applied in previous Olympics.
The IOC has cleared the way for Khelif as well as Taiwan’s double world champion Lin Yu-ting, who lost her bronze medal at last year’s World Championships after she failed to meet the criteria for the same reason, to compete at the Games.
“What I would say is that this involves real people and we are talking about real people’s lives here,” IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said on Thursday.
“They have competed and they continue to compete in the women’s competition. They have lost and they have won against other women over the years.”
