An Olympic dream shattered for Angela Carini as she quits after just 46 seconds into the match. She versed Imane Khelif, the controversial boxer who had failed the gender test last year and was banned from the boxing Championships. Here’s the full story.
In Over Her Head?
Angela Carini faced her appointment, Imane Khelif, in a boxing match, leading to her quitting long before the time was over.
Over Before It Begun
Just 46 seconds after the match began, two punches to Carini’s face from her opponent Khelif, saw the athlete quit her fight. Carini told news outlets that she had felt a “severe pain in her nose” and that, as a mature boxer, she knew she had to quit.
She Can’t Decide
An emotional Carini had also said in her interview that it was not up to her to decide “If an athlete is that way, and in that sense it’s not right, or it is right,” she said it wasn’t up to her.
Who Is Angela Carini?
Angela Carini (Tiger) is a welterweight amateur boxer from Italy. News outlets reported she wanted to win a medal “to honour her late father,” Guiseppe Carini, her coach and mentor.
Make Her Dad Proud
Carini’s father passed away in 2021, and she had just returned from the Olympic games in Japan that year. She had set her heart on winning a medal for her dad.
Previous Fights and Wins for Carini
Carini had previously won a medal in the 2019 Women’s World Boxing Championships. In her boxing career, she has had four KO wins, been in 108 fights, and won 84 fights, according to Wiki.
Khelif Is All In
Imane Khalif is Algeria’s all-star boxer who had previously been banned by the International Boxing Association (IBA) due to failing a gender eligibility test last year. Still, the French Olympics has set Khelif in the clear to fight in the women’s category.
Six Years Boxing
Khelif is said to have a long boxing career, as confirmed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which announced that the boxer has six years of experience. The IOC defends the athlete and another boxer who has faced the same backlash.
Why the Debate?
Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting both compete in the female boxing division; however, their controversial presence in the 2024 Olympics was due to their ban.
Failed Gender Eligibility Tests
The pair were banned by the International Boxing Association (IBA) for failing a gender-specific test in which the results were not disclosed.
No Unfair Sportsmanship
In a statement, the IBA said the committee is committed to “competitive fairness.” They included that they were very “concerned about the “inconsistent application of eligibility criteria” by sporting organisations.
She Credits Her Father
“I am a fighter, my father taught me to be a warrior..” Carini said in an interview. With tears in her eyes, she quit the opportunity to win a medal that many have deemed “unfair.”
Other Athletes Give an Opinion
Other athletes have expressed their feelings regarding the match and what Carini went through.
Britain’s Former Boxing Star
Britain’s medalist boxing champ, Nicola Adams, retired early due to a “torn pupil” injury suffered in her last fight in 2019. In a social media post, she left a statement with the hashtag “#IStandWithAngelaCarini.”
Many Years of Fighting
Adams mentioned that it took years “…of fighting for women’s boxing to even exist in the Olympics…”
Giving up the Olympic Dream
Adams also spoke of how hard women had to train and said, “…It was hard to watch another fighter give up her Olympic dreams.” – Wales Online.
It Can Be Dangerous
Caitlin Parker, an Australian middleweight fighter, said that she has sparred with guys before, but it can be dangerous. She also said she’s focused on getting through her fights in the competition.
Not Supposed to Be
Former NCAA Champion swimmer Riley Gaines also took to socials with the hashtag “#IStandWithAngelaCarini.” She added, “Men don’t belong in women’s sports.” Gaines had received support after transgender swimmer Lia Thomas took the win in a women’s swimming competition in 2022. Gaines said in her X comment that Thomas is barred from competing in the “…women’s category at the Olympics or in any other elite competition…”
Next Opponent in Waiting
Khelif will face off with Hungarian boxer Anna Lucca Hamori.
I’m “Not Scared”
According to The Daily Mail, Hamori told news reporters, “I’m not scared. I don’t care about the press story and social media…” She further said that she didn’t worry if Khelif was a woman or a man, but that it would be a “bigger victory” for her if she won.
No Seeing Eye-To-Eye
While the IOC defends its decision to allow Khelif and Lin to partake in the games, the IBA stands firm in its former banning of the two athletes.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / ProPhoto1234.