- Algerian boxer Imane Khelif participated in the women’s welterweight competition
- She secured a victory in her opening match after her opponent withdrew just 46 seconds in
- A lip-reader has disclosed what transpired moments before the fight was halted
According to reports, a lip-reader has disclosed what Imane Khelif’s opponent said after withdrawing from their boxing match on Thursday.
Khelif is one of two boxers allowed to compete in the Olympics despite being disqualified from last year’s World Championships, under the classification of biologically male.
In the midst of the eligibility controversy, the Algerian boxer has now claimed her first victory at the Games after Italian contestant Angela Carini abandoned the match after just 46 seconds.
Carini faced two punches from Khelif in the initial round of their women’s welterweight bout in Paris before making the decision to withdraw.
As reported by Gazzetta dello Sport, a lip-reader suggested that Carini told her team ‘it hurt like hell’ after being struck by Khelif.
Imane Khelif – one of the two boxers involved in an eligibility row at the Olympics – won her first boxing match of the Games after her opponent withdrew in the opening round on Thursday
Khelif landed two brutal shots onto Angela Carini before the bout was halted
A lip-reader has now revealed what Carini told her corner after the fight was abandoned
After the bout, she remarked: ‘I was hit on the nose and it hurt tremendously; I couldn’t bear to continue. Was I influenced by external pressure? Absolutely not; my goal was to win my Olympic match. My decision to withdraw was a sign of maturity, not a sign of defeat.’
The Italian boxer, who had expressed prior to the match that she was only able to ‘adapt to the Olympic rules’, was seen crying in the center of the ring after the sudden ending of the bout.
Khelif’s participation is mired in controversy as she was disqualified from last year’s Women’s World Boxing Championships.
The official Olympics site clarified that Khelif was disqualified mere hours before a gold medal match with China’s Yang Liu in New Delhi, due to elevated testosterone levels that did not meet the eligibility standards.
The Algerian Olympic Committee (COA) responded by alleging the disqualification was a ‘conspiracy’ aimed at preventing them from securing a gold medal, asserting that ‘medical reasons’ accounted for the high testosterone levels.
Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting also faced disqualification from the World Championships.
As reported by feminist outlet Reduxx, both Khelif and Lin are believed to be affected by a Difference of Sexual Development (DSD), a range of medical conditions present at birth where genitalia does not align with typical chromosomal patterns.
The International Boxing Association (IBA) issued a statement on Wednesday, asserting that their decisions came after an exhaustive review.
Carini was hit twice in the opening round before abandoning the contest after 46 seconds
The Italian boxer fell to her knees after abandoning the match and was seen in tears in the ring
The IBA stated that neither athlete underwent testosterone testing, but rather were ‘subject to a separate and recognized test’ conducted during the World Championships held in 2022 and 2023.
It is claimed these tests ‘conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the required eligibility criteria’, revealing both competitors ‘were found to have competitive advantages over other female contestants.’
The IBA criticized the IOC, asserting that its differing regulations ‘raise serious concerns about competitive fairness and athlete safety.’
The IBA does not oversee the Olympic competition as it has been stripped of recognition by the IOC due to ongoing governance issues. Instead, a Paris 2024 Boxing Unit has been established to manage the event.
