Female Olympic boxer bursts into tears after being punched in the face by opponent who previously failed gender test
1 August 2024, 13:17
The Olympics were rocked by scandal on Thursday as a female boxer burst into tears after being punched in the face and going on to quit her bout with an opponent who had previously failed a gender test.
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Italian Angela Carini ended her 66kg clash with Algerian Imane Khelif after just 46 seconds, when two punches saw her helmet dislodged.
Carini refused to shake hands with Khelif after the fight, as she wept on the canvas with a possible broken nose.
Her coach said: "She felt pain in her nose and said to me 'I don't want to fight anymore'."
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The fight itself had already been controversial - Khelif, who is 5ft 10, was one of two women boxers cleared to compete after being disqualified from last year's World Boxing Championships in New Delhi.
The Algerian was disqualified for failing to meet the necessary gender eligibility criteria.
The president of the International Boxing Association (IBA) said that his association "uncovered athletes who were trying to fool their colleagues and pretended to be women" using DNA tests.
Umar Kremlev said that the DNA tests "proved" that these boxers "had XY chromosomes and were thus excluded from the sports events."
Speaking after Thursday's match, Carini said: "I have always honoured my country with loyalty.
"This time I didn't succeed because I couldn't fight anymore. So I put an end to the match."
Her coach told reporters afterwards: "I don't know if her nose is broken. I have to speak with the girl.
"But many people in Italy tried to call and tell her: 'Don't go please: it's a man, it's dangerous for you."
Algeria's Olympic Committee has called the criticism of Khelif "baseless", and the boxer was welcomed the ring by cheers from Algerian fans.
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