- Italian female boxer abandons bout after 46 seconds
Controversy erupted after the boxing match between Italian boxer Angela Carini and Algeria’s Imane Khelif, which ended abruptly after just 46 seconds. Carini, in tears, abandoned the bout, stating, “I was told a lot of times that I was a warrior, but I preferred to stop for my health. I have never felt a punch like this.”
The incident has sparked debate at the Paris Olympics, as Khelif is one of two boxers allowed to compete despite being disqualified from the women’s world championships in 2023 for failing testosterone and gender eligibility tests.
Far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni commented, “It matters to be able to compete on equal grounds, and from my point of view, it was not an even contest.” Carini, however, expressed a more neutral stance, saying, “I wish her to carry on until the end and that she can be happy. I am not here to judge or pass judgment.”
Social media exploded with opinions on the fairness of allowing Khelif to compete, with prominent figures like Elon Musk, Logan Paul, and Piers Morgan weighing in. Khelif, who was raised and identifies as female and is not transgender, falls under the category of athletes with Differences of Sexual Development (DSD). These athletes have XY chromosomes, resulting in testosterone levels within the male range but are currently permitted to compete in women’s competitions at the Olympics.
Among those misgendering Khelif was J.K. Rowling, a vocal critic of certain aspects of the transgender movement. Rowling posted a photo of Khelif smiling at her opponent and wrote, “Could any picture sum up our new men’s rights movement better? The smirk of a male who 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.”
Rowling also criticized the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in a letter, calling its safeguarding “a joke” and accusing it of allowing a male to compete against a female boxer, thus shattering her life’s ambition.
On Thursday, IOC spokesman Mark Adams addressed the fallout, stating, “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.”
