Italian boxer Angela Carini says sorry for not shaking Imane Khelif's hand after fight sparks gender row
2 August 2024, 17:26 | Updated: 2 August 2024, 17:27
Italian boxer Angela Carini has apologised for not shaking Imane Khelif's hand after their fight.
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Khelif defeated Carini in just 46 seconds, with the Italian saying afterwards she had "never felt a punch like this".
Carini refused to shake hands with Khelif following the fight and instead wept on the canvas with a possible broken nose.
She was heard telling her corner "it's not fair" afterwards and said she quit to "save my life".
The fight sparked a controversial row over gender - which Carini has since apologised for.
It came as Khelif had been allowed to compete in the Games despite being disqualified from last year's World Championships for failing to meet gender eligibility criteria.
Carini said: "All this controversy makes me sad.
"I’m sorry for my opponent, too. If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision."
Speaking about her decision to not shake Khelif’s hand, Carini added: "It wasn’t something I intended to do.
"Actually, I want to apologise to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke.
"I don’t have anything against Khelif. Actually, if I were to meet her again I would embrace her."
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The controversy entered a second day on Friday, with Taiwan's Lin Yu-Ting becoming the second Olympic boxer to win a fight after failing a gender eligibility test.
Yu-Ting went the full three rounds against 22-year-old Sitora Turdibekova before winning on a unanimous decision.
She was also disqualified from last year's World Championships for failing to meet gender eligibility criteria.
Team GB Olympic gold medalist Nicola Adams earlier condemned the eligibility of Khelif, saying it was "unfair" and "dangerous".
Writing on X Adams, who has won two Olympic boxing gold medals, said: "After years of fighting for women's boxing to even exist in the Olympics and then all the training they go though to get there it was hard to watch another fighter be forced give up on her Olympic dreams.
"People not born as biological women, that have been through male puberty should not be able to complete in women's sport. Not only is this unfair it's dangerous!!"
Caller defends Algerian boxer Imane Khelif
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said that Khelif was eligible to compete in the Olympics as her passport says she is a woman.
A statement read: "Every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination.
"All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the competition's eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU)."
The authority further clarified that "the gender and age of the athletes are based on their passport," and confirmed that both athletes had previously competed in Tokyo.
"We have seen in reports misleading information about two female athletes competing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024," they added.
