Italian Olympic boxer Angela Carini walked out of her fight against Imane Khelif at Paris 2024
The Olympic boxer who walked out of her Paris 2024 fight after just 46 seconds has said she wants to apologize to her opponent.
Italian boxer Angela Carini spoke out after she faced Algeria’s Imane Khelif at the Olympics yesterday (1 August).
The fight was only just getting started, with only a few punches thrown when Carini abandoned the welterweight 16 round bout altogether.
Carini refused to shake Khelif’s hand and appeared to get emotional in the ring before she left, later explaining she ‘didn’t succeed’ because she simply ‘couldn’t fight anymore’.
Carini took on Khelif at Paris 2024. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
She told reporters she had never been punched so hard in her career before her fight against Khelif.
Her walkout at the Olympics came after Khelif was disqualified from the boxing world championships in 2023 after she failed a 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 IBA eligibility rules preventing athletes with XY chromosomes from competing in women’s events.
However, the International Olympic Committee has assured Khelif is eligible to take part in the Olympics. The boxer has always competed in the women’s division for her sport and is recognized by the IOC as a female athlete.
“Everyone competing in the women’s category is complying with the competition eligibility rules,” IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said.
Khelif managed to land a punch to the face after just 30 seconds. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
“They are women in their passports, and it’s stated that this is the case that they are female,” he added.
The IOC has added that the rules of eligibility for Paris 2024 are based on those used in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
In the wake of the fight, Carini told Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport the ‘controversy’ around the bout made her ‘sad’.
“I’m sorry for my opponent, too. If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision,” she said.
Carini expressed belief that abandoning the fight was the right and mature step for her to take, but she did share her regret at her decision not to shake hands with Khelif.
“It wasn’t something I intended to do,” Carini continued. “Actually, I want to apologize to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke.”
If she meets Khelif again, Carini said she would ’embrace her’.
In an interview with BBC Sport, Carini added: “It could have been the match of a lifetime, but I had to preserve my life as well in that moment.”
Featured Image Credit: Fabio Bozzani/Anadolu via Getty Images
Topics: Olympics, Boxing, Sport
Olympic boxer walks out of fight after just 46 seconds against rival who previously failed gender eligibility test
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.
The Italian boxer appeared to be in tears after the short bout. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
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.”
