Angela Carini decided to stop the match because of concerns for her life, when facing Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who caused controversy over her gender, in the round of 16 of the women’s -66kg category at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Carini’s fight with Khelif lasted just 46 seconds, after the Italian took two punches to the face and declared himself out. Carini refused to shake Khelif’s hand after the referee announced the winner. She quickly pulled her hand away from the referee’s hand, then fell to her knees in the ring, bursting into tears and screaming “this is unfair”.

Carini said the force of Khelif’s punches left her unable to continue. The Algerian boxer was at the centre of controversy when she was allowed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to compete in Paris 2024, despite having been disqualified from the 2023 World Championships for failing a gender test.

“I gave up to save my life,” Carini said. “My nose was hurting so much that I told myself to stop. It was better. It started bleeding after the first punch.”

Carini kneels and cries after giving up her match with Imane Khelif, in the 1/8 round of the women’s -66kg boxing at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Photo: AFP

The Italian fighter insists that the boxing ring is her life, but when she feels something is wrong, she feels the need to stop. “It’s not surrender, it’s an act of maturity,” Carini said.

The boxer born in 1998 was taken for a medical examination to assess the extent of her injuries, including a bruise on her nose. According to her, her withdrawal was not due to fear because she regularly competes for the national team. Carini also regularly trains with her brother and many male boxers, but today, she still feels pain.

“I’m not someone who gives up easily, even when they tell me to stop fighting. My dad taught me how to be a fighter. I always use that mindset and aim for victory. But this time, I couldn’t do it,” said the 26-year-old boxer.

Carini refused to say whether Khelif deserved to go to the Olympics. She was not one to judge, saying that was the job of the referee. Before the match, she told herself that she would give it her all no matter who her opponent was.

“I’m not in a position to say who’s right and who’s wrong,” Carini said. “I’m a boxer, I go in the ring and fight. I didn’t make it, but I’ll leave with my head held high and my heart broken.”

Meanwhile, Khelif said she had prepared very carefully for this Olympics, after only finishing fifth at Tokyo 2020. Her only goal is to beat all her opponents to win the gold medal, while refusing to comment on the decision to send her to the Olympics.

The Khelif-Carini match sparked a wave of backlash. Swimmer Riley Gaines spoke out about saving women’s sports from transgender athletes, and declared his support for Carini. The post was later retweeted by Tesla and X boss Elon Musk, who expressed his support.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling also called the match crazy, not sporty. “Please explain why it is okay for a man to hit a woman in public for fun,” Rowling wrote on X.

Khelif (left) punched Carini in the face. Photo: AP

However, IOC spokesman Mark Adams insisted that Khelif and a similarly controversial boxer, Taiwanese -57kg Lin Yu-Ting, were not transgender and should not be described as such. He insisted that both were identified as women on their passports.

The International Boxing Association (IBA) had previously disqualified the two boxers from the 2023 World Championships after a separate and accredited test, but not for testosterone. Meanwhile, IBA president Umar Kremlev said DNA testing proved the two athletes had XY male chromosomes.

According to the IBA, Khelif initially appealed against the disqualification at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) but withdrew his appeal. Meanwhile, Lin Yu-Ting did not contest the decision.

However, the IBA is not legally recognised by the IOC due to poor governance and anti-corruption. The IOC has established the Paris 2024 Boxing Union (PBU) to replace the boxing organisation. The PBU rules are more lenient than the IBA, allowing Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting to compete in Paris 2024.