The Italian boxer whose Algerian opponent sparked debate over female athletes at the 2024 Olympics is speaking out.
Angela Carini dropped her match against Imana Khelif after 46 seconds on Thursday, August 1st. Carini, 25, told Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport that she was “sorry” for the debate she had sparked about Khelif’s gender.
Carini’s quick defeat prompted many to question whether Khelif, 25, should have been eligible to compete at the Olympics after being disqualified from the 2023 World Boxing Championships for failing an unspecified gender eligibility test, which the International Boxing Association (IBA) claimed to have shown elevated testosterone levels.
Imane Khelif competes on August 1, 2024.
Richard Pelham/Getty
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“All this controversy certainly made me sad, and I felt sorry for my opponent, she had nothing to do with it and it was like I was here just to fight,” Carini told Gazzetta dello Sport, according to The Athletic.
The boxer explained why she did not shake hands with Khelifa after the match.
“It was not intentional, in fact, I apologize to her and to everyone. I was angry, because my games had already gone up in smoke,” Carini said. “I have nothing against Khelif and on the contrary, if I met her again, I would hug her.”
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who faced gender test issues, won an Olympic bout after her opponent withdrew
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Imane Khelif competes against Angela Carini on August 1, 2024.
MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty
When asked if she felt “manipulated” by those using her defeat to discuss gender issues, she told the newspaper that it was a question she did not want to answer.
“I guess a lot of people supported me because, like me, they believed in my Olympic dream, in my desire to win a medal for my dad, who is no longer with us. That’s all,” Carini told Gazzetta dello Sport, according to The Athletic.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU) issued a joint press release stating that “all athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games meet the competition requirements and entry rules.”
Who is Imane Khelif? Meet Algerian Olympic boxer competing for gold after first fight sparks gender debate
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Angela Carini at the competition on 01.08.2024.
MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty
According to their statement, “as with previous Olympic boxing events, the gender and age of the athletes is based on their passport.”
The statement also noted that female athletes “have been competing in international women’s boxing events for many years, including the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships and IBA-sanctioned tournaments.”
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Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education