The 2024 Paris Olympics is facing renewed criticism following a controversial boxing match between Italian boxer Angela Carini and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. Khelif, a biological man competing in the women’s event, won the match after just 46 seconds.
Khelif delivered several brutal punches to Carini’s face, leading many viewers to express horror at witnessing a man physically overpowering a woman in the Olympic ring. The match concluded when Carini surrendered, explaining that she had “enough” after enduring multiple blows to the face. In tears after the match, Carini stated that she had “never taken a punch like that.”
“I’m used to suffering,” she explained. “I’ve never taken a punch like that, it’s impossible to continue. I’m nobody to say it’s illegal.
“I got into the ring to fight. But I didn’t feel like it anymore after the first minute. I started to feel a strong pain in my nose. I didn’t give up, but a punch hurt too much and so I said enough. I’m leaving with my head held high,” she added.
Khelif’s participation in the women’s event has been controversial, particularly because he was previously barred from competing in women’s competitions. In 2023, Khelif was disqualified from the World Championships after failing gender eligibility tests for high levels of testosterone, according to the New York Post.
The incident has sparked significant backlash, with many condemning the decision to allow Khelif to compete amongst women. Former collegiate swimmer and women’s rights activist Riley Gaines posted, “Men don’t belong in women’s sports. #IStandWithAngelaCarini.” X owner Elon Musk reposted this, adding, “Absolutely.”
Boxer and YouTuber Logan Paul also criticized the incident, describing it as “the purest form of evil unfolding right before your eyes.” Paul stated, “A man was allowed to beat up a woman on a global stage, crushing her life’s dream while fighting for her deceased father This delusion must end.”
Author and women’s activist JK Rowling posted the photo of Carini in tears and Khelif tapping her on the back. Rowling wrote “Could any picture sum up our new men’s rights movement better? The smirk of a male who’s knows he’s protected by a misogynist sporting establishment enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head, and whose life’s ambition he’s just shattered.”
Despite the backlash, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) defended the match. IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said, “I repeat that all the competitors comply with the eligibility rules.”
“But what I would say is that this involves real people. And, by the way, this is not a transgender issue. I should make this absolutely clear,” he added.
Earlier in the week, Adams explained that all competitors in the women’s category are adhering to the eligibility rules, emphasizing, “They are women in their passports and it’s stated that this is the case, that they are female.”
