Janice R. Andrews
PARIS — At the Paris Olympics 2024, Angela Carini of Italy abruptly left the ring 46 seconds into her match against Imane Khelif of Algeria, intensifying the existing discussion about women’s eligibility for sports. After taking a flurry of strong blows from Khelif in the women’s 66kg boxing class, Carini raised her hand to terminate the bout.
Carini informed her coach Emanuel Renzini that she was experiencing extreme agony from a punch, leading to the decision to end the contest. When Carini took one more punch, Renzini encouraged him to go through the first round, but Carini asked to stop the fight right then.
According to Renzini, Carini once said, “She’s too strong.” Later, the distraught fighter spoke to reporters, apologizing to her fans and expressing her sincere regret for her brief performance. Carini claimed, “I had entered the ring to fight,” in Italian. “I persisted, but when a blow hurt too much, I had enough. I go with a proud head.”
Given her contentious background, the sudden end of the battle has raised questions about Khelif’s ability to compete. Khelif was eliminated from the 2023 World Boxing Championships following her failure to pass a gender eligibility test, which also prevented her from competing in the championship match. Khelif was placed on the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) disqualification list when the organization declared that competitors in women’s competitions could not have XY chromosomes.
On the other hand, more lax regulations have been implemented by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which is now in charge of boxing at the Paris Olympics because of problems with IBA governance. The Paris 2024 Boxing unit of the IOC has decided to ignore the outcomes of previous gender eligibility tests carried out by the IBA. It has stated that, according to its official documents, all athletes participating in the women’s category are eligible to compete.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams stressed that “everyone competing in the women’s category is complying with the competition eligibility rules” in response to the ongoing dispute. Based on their passports, they are women. Adams said that the fact that these athletes have prior experience competing in their respective categories suggests that they are legitimate.
The IBA has voiced concerns over the differences in regulations, highlighting the different ways in which the IOC and the IBA apply eligibility requirements. The IBA said in a statement on Wednesday that “the IOC’s differing regulations on these matters, in which IBA is not involved, raise serious questions about both competitive fairness and athletes’ safety.”
The Olympic committee of Algeria has spoken up for Khelif against what they consider to be unethical international media scrutiny, claiming that it is unjust to concentrate on her personal and athletic integrity. The committee said in a statement that “such attacks on her personality and dignity are deeply unfair, especially as she prepares for the pinnacle of her career at the Olympics.”
Italian officials expressed their doubts about Khelif’s participation’s fairness before to the battle. Many expressed concerns about Carini’s safety and asked her not to compete, according to Renzini. Renzini acknowledged the intricacy of the case while being unbiased when questioned about his opinions on Khelif’s eligibility.
Despite the obstacles she has encountered, Khelif has had an incredible climb in the boxing world. Due to her perseverance, Khelif, who was raised in a small Algerian hamlet where women’s sports were not often appreciated, traveled every day for training, frequently overcoming substantial social and financial obstacles. Her outstanding Olympic performance in the women’s lightweight class, when she tied for fifth place, and her following triumphs at the African Championships and World Championships are among her accolades.
The controversy over Khelif’s eligibility is similar to previous ones, such the one involving South African runner Caster Semenya, who has been the subject of discussions about gender and athletics for more than ten years. The physical aspect of boxing raises safety issues in the present argument, unlike Semenya’s case.
Carini is disappointed for the second time in a row about the Olympics in Paris. Her father’s passing just before her opening match during her previous Olympic voyage in Tokyo was a personal sorrow. Renzini mentioned that Carini had been away from boxing for two years, but that he had returned to the sport last year with newfound vigor.
It is anticipated that the concerns brought up by the fight between Carini and Khelif will come up again as the Olympic boxing competitions go on. Lin Yu-ting of China Taipei will battle against Sitora Turdibekova of Uzbekistan on Friday in the 57kg class, and Carini will participate in the women’s 66kg quarterfinal on Saturday. Future regulations and discussions in the realm of competitive sports will probably be influenced by the results of these games and the continuing eligibility arguments.
Carini has stated that “it’s not up to me to decide” in response to questions about her eligibility.
