Angela Carini appeared to get emotional in the ring after giving up the fight against Imane Khelif
Italian Olympic boxer Angela Carini walked out of her fight against Imane Khelif, making the Algerian boxer the winner after just 46 seconds.
Carini and Khelif stepped in to the ring during the Paris 2024 Olympics today (1 August), but only exchanged a few punches before Carini abandoned the welterweight 16 round bout altogether.
The Italian boxer’s headgear appeared to become dislodged twice before she gave up, and she refused to shake Khelif’s hand after she was announced as winner.
Carini also appeared to get emotional in the ring before she stepped away from the bout.
Commenting on her decision, the Italian said: “I have always honoured my country with loyalty. This time I didn’t succeed because I couldn’t fight anymore. So I put an end to the match.”
Carini spoke post fight about leaving early, according to the ANSA news agency, saying: “I went into the ring to fight. I didn’t give up, but a punch hurt too much and so I said enough.”
“I’m leaving with my head held high.”
The surprising end to the fight came after Kheli was disqualified from the world championships in 2023 after she failed an unspecified gender eligibility test due to what the International Boxing Association claimed were elevated levels of testosterone.
According to a Reuters report, she failed due to the IBA eligibility rules prevent athletes with XY chromosomes from competing in women’s events.
The Algerian boxer previously won a silver medal at the International Boxing Association’s 2022 world championships.
Prior to the fight, the Algerian Olympic Committee issued a statement criticising what it described as ‘lies’ and claiming there was ‘unethical targeting and maligning of our esteemed athlete, Imane Khelif, with baseless propaganda from certain foreign media outlets’.
Speaking about the fight, Carini said: “I have always honoured my country with loyalty. This time I didn’t succeed because I couldn’t fight anymore.” (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Despite the ongoing controversy surrounding accusations against the Algerian boxer, the Olympic Committee condemned the attacks ahead of the fight.
The Algeria Olympic Committee also added: “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.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has also defended the athletes participating in this year’s Olympics and said they have all passed eligibility.
On Tuesday, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said: “These athletes have competed many times before for many years, they haven’t just suddenly arrived – they competed in Tokyo.”
Olympic boxer Angela Carini explains why she walked out of fight after just 46 seconds in emotional interview
Angela Carini ended her Paris Olympics boxing match against Imane Khelif early
Italian boxer Angela Carini has explained her decision to end her boxing match early against Imane Khelif.
Today (August 1), Carini went head-to-head against the Algerian boxer in the ring, but called time on their fight just 46 seconds in.
The match was supposed to go for four rounds, but Carini felt she couldn’t go on.
The 25-year-old welterweight’s headgear became dislodged twice within the short amount of time she went up against Khelif.
The fight lasted less than a minute. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
With her shock decision to end the fight so abruptly in mind, Carini has now spoken out.
Speaking to the press after the fight, Carini explained: “This time I didn’t succeed because I couldn’t fight anymore.
“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.”
It’s believed Carini sustained a broken nose in the fight, but this is yet to be confirmed.
Angela Carini is thought to have sustained a broken nose. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
There was already controversy ahead of the boxing match between Carini and Khelif as Khelif was disqualified from last year’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi.
She failed an unspecified gender eligibility test due to what the International Boxing Association claimed were elevated levels of testosterone.
Khelif failed due to the IBA eligibility rules prevent athletes with XY chromosomes from competing in women’s events, Reuters reported.
The International Olympics Committee (IOC) has been facing criticism for letting Khelif take part in the Games with her having failed required health tests previously.
Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting has also been a topic of discussion. Like Khelif, she was also disqualified from last year’s World Championships for failing to meet gender eligibility criteria.
Imane Khelif was disqualified from the 2023 World Boxing Championships. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Caitlin Parker, captain of the Australian boxing team at Paris 2024 labelled it as ‘dangerous’ to have the likes of Khelif and Yu-ting take part.
“I don’t agree with it,” she shared, as per The Telegraph. “I really hope the organizations get their act together.”
Despite the backlash, Mark Adams, the IOC’s spokesman, feels like the committee made the right decision.
“These boxers are entirely eligible – they are women on their passports,” he said.
“It’s not helpful to start stigmatising people like this. We all have a responsibility not to turn it into some kind of witch-hunt.”
Featured Image Credit: Olympics Feed
