Boxer Angela Carini ‘Felt Sorry’ for Imane Khelif After Olympic Fight Sparked Gender Controversy

Carini bowed out of her match against Khelif after 46 seconds on Thursday, Aug. 1

Angela Carini and Imane Khelif

Angela Carini and Imane Khelif. Photo: Richard Pelham/Getty (2)

The Italian boxer whose Algerian opponent has ignited discussions about female athletes at the 2024 Olympic Games is speaking out.

Angela Carini bowed out of her match against Imane Khelif after 46 seconds on Thursday, Aug. 1. Carini, 25, told the Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport that she feels “sorry” for the discussion it sparked about Khelif’s gender.

Carini’s quick defeat caused many to question whether Khelif, 25, should have been eligible to compete at the Olympics after being disqualified from the 2023 boxing world championships due to failing an unspecified gender eligibility test, which the International Boxing Association (IBA) claimed showed elevated levels of testosterone.

Imane Khelif of Team Algeria punches Angela Carini of Team Italy during the Women's. 66kg preliminary round match on day six of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at North Paris Arena on August 01, 2024 in Paris, France.

Imane Khelif competing on August 01, 2024.Richard Pelham/Getty

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“All this controversy certainly made me sad, and I also felt sorry for my opponent, she had nothing to do with it and like me was only here to fight,” Carini told Gazzetta dello Sport, per The Athletic.

The boxer also clarified why she didn’t shake Khelif’s hand 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,” said Carini. “I have nothing against Khelif and on the contrary if I happened to meet her again I would give her a hug.”

Algeria's Imane Khelif (in red) punches Italy's Angela Carini in the women's 66kg preliminaries round of 16 boxing match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the North Paris Arena, in Villepinte on August 1, 2024.

Imane Khelif competing against Angela Carini on August 01, 2024.MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty

When asked if she felt “manipulated” by those who are using her defeat to argue about gender issues, she told the outlet that it was a question she didn’t want to answer.

“I imagine that many people supported me because like me they believed in my Olympic dream, in my desire to win a medal for Dad, who is no longer with us. That’s all,” Carini told Gazzetta dello Sport, per The Athletic.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU) issued a joint press release expressing that “all athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations.”

Angela Carini

Angela Carini competing on August 1, 2024.MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty

According to their statement, “as with previous Olympic boxing competitions, the gender and age of the athletes are based on their passport.”

The press release also notes that the athletes “have been competing in international boxing competitions for many years in the women’s category, including the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships and IBA-sanctioned tournaments.”

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