Boxer at the centre of gender controversy wins Olympic fight in just 46 seconds
Algeria’s Imane Khelif, right, after defeating Italy’s Angela Carini, left. Picture: AP Photo/John Locher
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif’s women’s 66kg clash with Angela Carini of Italy was abandoned after just 46 seconds.
There was controversy going into the fight after Khelif was one of two women boxers cleared to compete after being disqualified from last year’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi.
The Algerian was disqualified for failing to meet the necessary gender eligibility criteria.
During Thursday’s match, Khelif landed a few good shots, but the fight lasted just 46 seconds as Carini went over to her corner and was unable to carry on due to pain in her nose.
Carini was seen in floods of tears after the fight and her coach said: “She felt pain in her nose and said to me ‘I don’t want to fight anymore’.”
The Italian boxer said: “It hurt so much. I am heartbroken. I went to the ring to honour my father.
“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.
“After the second blow, and after years of experience in the ring and a lifetime of fighting, I felt extreme pain in my nose.
“I said ‘enough’ because I didn’t want to… I couldn’t carry on in the match. I thought maybe it was better that I brought an end to the match.
“I went to my corner and raised my hand and said I’d had enough because my nose hurt so much.
“I’ve always gone into the ring with honour, I’ve always fought for my country, loyally, but this time I couldn’t as I wasn’t able to fight anymore.”
Khelif has previously competed at Tokyo 2020, but finished just outside of the medal positions.
Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting is the other fighter who also had questions raised about her eligibility for the Games.
She faces Sitora Turdibekova in the women’s 57kg category on Friday.
Renzini insisted that Carini was adamant ahead of the fight that she would face Khelif for as long as she could.
He said: “It would have been easier not to show up, because all of Italy had been asking her not to fight for days. But Angela was motivated and wanted to do it.
“Of course when she met her opponent at the draw, she said ‘it’s not fair’.
“But there was no premeditation here today. She quit after taking one punch, she told me she didn’t feel she could fight.
“I tried to tell her to at least get to the end of the first round so we would fight, but she wouldn’t.”
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