Italy's Carini abandons fight against Khelif, fuelling gender debate

[Mosby]

PARIS, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Italian boxer Angela Carini pulled out of the Paris Olympics mid-fight on Thursday after she sustained a series of crunching blows from her Algerian opponent Imane Khelif, who last year failed a gender eligibility test at the World Championships.

Khelif, whose participation in the Games was permitted by the IOC and had divided boxers, landed multiple punches in the first 30 seconds before a powerful right to Carini's nose prompted the Italian to raise her hand and return to her corner.

Her coach signalled she was withdrawing from the women's welterweight round of 16 bout. A distraught Carini fell to her knees in the ring, sobbing and declining to shake Khelif's hand after the referee declared the Algerian the winner.

"I am a fighter. My father taught me to be a warrior. When I am in the ring, I use that mindset, the mindset of a warrior, a winning mindset," Carini told reporters after abandoning the bout. "This time I couldn’t make it."

https://www.reuters.com/sports/olympics/boxing-algerian-khelif-advances-after-italys-carini-abandons-fight-after-46-2024-08-01/

[Jilly_in_VA]

1. Doesn't sound like

it had anything to do with gender. Sounds like it was a sound beating by a superior boxer. It happens.

[hlthe2b]

2. I argue neither side, but it is far more complicated than that. Read about the Algerian fighter's prior

disqualification. Sports officiating bodies do not agree on these policies, apparently and this is what happens... Athletes caught in the middle.