After Italian boxer Angela Carini expressed her remorse and wished to “apologize” to Imane Khelif, former ESPN writer Jemele Hill and South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley also spoke out.
Carini stated that the situation regarding Khelif “makes me sad,” and she “respected” the IOC’s choice to allow Khelif to compete.
Khelif is identified as having male XY chromosomes and was excluded from competing in the women’s world championships the previous year.
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Jemele Hill and Dawn Staley addressed detractors of Imane Khelif on Friday. (Getty Images)
Following Carini’s apology, Hill insisted that more individuals should express remorse and urged Khelif to take additional action.
“A lot of people need to apologize,” Hill, a writer for “The Atlantic,” stated on X. “I hope Khelif takes legal action against some individuals for their thoughtless comments. This entire situation merely revealed ugliness, hatred, and transphobia. As Carini openly acknowledged, she withdrew because she feared losing, and others misconstrued it into something else.”
Staley observed Hill’s post and chimed in with her thoughts.
“They also need to pray and be prayed for, because… their lives are entrenched in pure hatred,” Staley remarked.
Algeria’s Imane Khelif (in red) interacts with Italy’s Angela Carini during their women’s 66-kilogram preliminaries round of 16 match at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on August 1, 2024. (Mohd Rasfan/AFP via Getty Images)
RILEY GAINES CALLS FEMALE BOXER A ‘HERO’ FOR FORFEITING MATCH AGAINST FIGHTER WITH XY CHROMOSOMES, CRITICIZES IOC
Hill commented that she “agreed.”
Carini seemed to dismiss Khelif after their match, mentioning it was one of her regrets regarding the competition.
“It was not my intention,” Carini expressed. “In fact, I’d like to apologize to her and everyone affected. I was upset because my Olympic dreams had slipped away.”
Khelif is set to compete in the next round on Saturday against Hungarian boxer Luca Hamori.
The International Olympic Committee defended Khelif’s eligibility on Thursday as the gender debate intensified.
“These two athletes were the victims of an abrupt and unwarranted decision by the IBA,” the IOC stated regarding Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting. “Near the conclusion of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any proper process.”
Algeria’s Imane Khelif, right, triumphed over Italy’s Angela Carini in their women’s 66-kilogram preliminary boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics on August 1, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/John Locher)
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According to the minutes available on the IBA website, the initial decision was made by the IBA Secretary General and CEO. Subsequently, the IBA Board ratified it but only afterward requested that a procedure for such cases be established and incorporated into the IBA Regulations. The minutes also indicate that the IBA should “develop a definitive process regarding gender testing.”
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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