Italian Boxer Quits Olympic Match, Reignites Gender Controversy
Italian Boxer Quits Olympic Match, Reignites Gender Controversy
Above: Imane Khelif of Team Algeria interacts with Angela Carini of Team Italy after she abandons the Women's 66kg preliminary round match in the first round on day six of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at North Paris Arena on August 01, 2024 in Paris, France. Image copyright: *** GETTY *** Richard Pelham/Getty Images
The Facts
1Italian boxer Angela Carini abandoned her Olympic bout on Thursday after 46 seconds, allegedly due to severe pain in her nose from two punches, as she was heard telling "Non è giusto" ("It's not fair") to her corner. She didn't acknowledge her opponent and cried on her knees in the ring, but claimed her withdrawal wasn't a political statement.
2This welterweight round of 16 match had long been engulfed in gender controversy, with Rome and Italy's Olympic Committee expressing concerns over rules that allowed her opponent, Algeria's Imane Khelif, to compete in Paris despite failing International Boxing Association's gender-eligibility tests.
