The images of Italian boxer Angela Carini after she quit less than one minute into her Olympic match with Algeria’s Imane Khelif created an internet firestorm. The situation was fueled by allegations that Khelif was a biological male being allowed to compete against females on the sport’s biggest amateur stage.
Those allegations track back to a 2023 decision by the IBA to disqualify Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting for failing a “gender test.” Details of the test, including what type of test was administered, have never been provided by IBA representatives beyond a Telegram post from IBA president Umar Kremlevclaiming. Khelif’s and Lin’s tests revealed XY chromosomes. If true, that could indicate a genetic abnormality as both women were assigned female at birth. But they have never been disqualified from other competitions. The IOC has made it clear that both boxers “comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit.”
After her fight with Khelif, Carini did not shake her opponent’s hand and broke down in tears. She would later say she had never been hit so hard and that she thought it was possible her nose had been broken. She also said she quit 46 seconds into the fight because “I had to preserve my life as well in that moment.”
Carini is now softening her stance after the backlash against Khelif.
“All this controversy makes me sad,” Carini told Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport. “I’m sorry for my opponent, too. If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision.”
Carini also expressed regret at not shaking Khelif’s hand after the bout.
“It wasn’t something I intended to do,” Carini said. “Actually, I want to apologize to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke.”
Khelif faces Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori in the welterweight quarterfinals on Sunday. She failed to medal at the Tokyo Olympics after losing in the quarterfinals.
