Italian Angela Carini was forced to abandon a match against a suspected male opponent at the Olympic Games this Thursday, quitting 46 seconds into the bout after getting punched in the face twice.
Carini refused to continue fighting Imane Khelif, an Algerian who was kicked out of last year’s World Championships for “pretending to be” female following several DNA tests.
The Italian never stood a chance against her opponent, given that the playing field was anything but level, and the forfeiture has sparked outrage online, with Carini visibly upset as she could not hold back the tears after the result.
An emotional video of her revealing that she was fighting for her late father after she qualified for the Olympic Games has surfaced online following Thursday’s events. You can check it out right below:
Angela Carini (Photo via @sfmcguire79/X)
“I wanted this victory at all costs. Just for my father.”
Italian boxer Angela Carini emotionally discusses winning for her late father after securing a spot at the Paris Olympics.
She just forfeited her match against Imane Khelif, who is male. pic.twitter.com/zypHELjldX
— Steve McGuire (@sfmcguire79) August 1, 2024
Angela Carini’s ordeal has sparked a campaign online, with the likes of Elon Musk and Riley Gaines calling out the Olympics. The University of Kentucky swimmer has gotten the hashtag #IStandWithAngelaCarini trending on X/Twitter.
As for Khelif, the boxer hasn’t identified as transgender, but it is believed that she, as well as Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting, who was also banned from last year’s championships, have both male and female genitalia, per Reduxx.
President of the International Boxing Association (IBA), Umar Kremlev revealed their disqualifications after meeting with executives to discuss “fairness among athletes and professionalism.”
He added that “a series of DNA-tests,” were carried out after the IBA “uncovered athletes who were trying to fool their colleagues and pretend to be women.”
This is the latest controversy stemming from the 2024 Olympic Games, which has attracted rife criticism since Friday’s opening ceremony.
